[Politics] How busy are the Polling Stations where you live?

[ROSM]

So this COULD mean that if it's as quiet as it (possibly) seems that the Tory vote has collapsed completely? Is that a hypothesis?

Impossible to tell until knowing evening turnout levels. It could be poor across all parties

 

[Worried Man Blues]

Just voted in Swansea museum, about ten bods around, glad they didn't keep me in!

 

[Sorrel]

Twenty people queue ahead of me in Sussex Weald. When I left there were around thirty queuing.

A friend of mine, who I helped get citizenship last year, had never voted in a democratic election with a real choice before - he was there at his polling station at 7AM this morning, dressed in his best suit to vote. There was no queue then, he informed me.

 

[ROSM]

Labour’s final polling average was 39%, less than Corbyn’s 40% in 2019 and Blair’s 43% in 1997. Not suggesting a landslide of votes crushing all the other parties. The split of the Tory/Reform vote has given the false impression to those not looking that many, many millions are switching red.

It’ll be interesting to see how this very unique constituency votes.

As I put on another thread, there are 7 major parties likely to get more than 1.5m votes (and 4 way in excess of that) that will mean of any party got near 40% they're smashing it

 

[Sorrel]

Went around 4.15, about 5 people and 2 straining dogs in front of me. We had around 71% turnout last time round.

Anyone ever been exit-polled ? I gather they do it at about 130 constituencies, always the same ones.

I believe it is all completed by around 13:00 - so if you don't vote by midday you probably don't get exit-polled.

 

[PILTDOWN MAN]

There were two of us there when I went in at 5.

 

[Sorrel]

They used to always have representatives on the door of the polling stations didn't they? Don't they do that anymore?

I've done that in the past. You have a list of people who've promised to vote for your party and you go round their houses to check they've bothered to do it. Parties used to offer lifts to polling stations as well, though I suspect postal voting has removed much of the need for that.

 

[Albion_Dave]

Just voted at Stone Cross and it’s rammed.

 

[BrightonCottager]

Knoyle Road update - a minute wait, about 2 or 3 in front of you. No Labour presence at all - for a polling station I've taken numbers at (telling) many times in the past. Met someone coming out who said they just resigned from the Labour party four months ago. Greens were there, nice lady with a cute dog. Also not taking any numbers for some reason, assume because they are pretty relaxed about it all

I'm not sure why we're (oops) not taking numbers, but as I'm away I have no say in the matter. In past elections, I've taken numbers, been a runner (actually 'cyclist'), going round the local polling stations collecting the numbers and taking them to the committee room (normally a nice person's lounge and kitchen with quinoa and lentil salads on tap) where the numbers are compared with the list of G1s and G2s and also been a 'knocker up' - knocking on G1/G2 voters' doors (people who've been canvassed and said they are definitely / probably going to be voting Green). It's quite an exciting way to spend a day and see democracy in action.

On your last point, the Greens are never complacent about winning anywhere.

 

[Bodian]

First time I have ever had to queue (about 7 people ahead of me) in the 20 years I've been here. Mind you, it was pouring down this morning - so it may just be delayed voters rather than more voters. We do generally have quite a high turnout here.

Pretty quiet in Gloucester mid-afternoon. Perhaps people who live in Gloucester just aren't very interested in voting for the MP for Tewkesbury .................................

Fewer invigilators than usual, even though they have more to do (i.e. the identity check - although TBF as |I had mine ready to hand that took less than ten seconds).

Just spent a wonderful week in Caudle Green - stopped in Tewkesbury on the way home for a cup of tea in 'The Lounge'. Liked the town and the bar/cafe.

They used to always have representatives on the door of the polling stations didn't they? Don't they do that anymore?

They did indeed. Not seen anyone for years. Perhaps they can only do it if there is a police presence there? In fact this chap today was the first canvasser I have ever had knock on the door.

I've done that in the past. You have a list of people who've promised to vote for your party and you go round their houses to check they've bothered to do it. Parties used to offer lifts to polling stations as well, though I suspect postal voting has removed much of the need for that.

We had three outside - blue / yellow / a.n.other (no police). I always refuse to give them my number. In the local elections in May I had a canvasser knock on my door at 9.45pm to ask if I had been out to vote. I was quite rude to them. 9.45pm!

 

[Easy 10]

I believe it is all completed by around 13:00 - so if you don't vote by midday you probably don't get exit-polled.

You sure ?
Just checked the Ipsos website, and there's nothing on there mentioning any kind of lunchtime cut-off point when they stop taking exit polls. That would cut out quite a large demographic of people who go to vote after work.

 

[Zeberdi]

They did indeed. Not seen anyone for years. Perhaps they can only do it if there is a police presence there? In fact this chap today was the first canvasser I have ever had knock on the door.

Guess it depends on your local parties. They still have Party activists at the polling station- no need for there to be Police to be present (unless the Candidate is a sitting MP/Minister, then the police escort the Candidate under special protection measures around the constituency )- it depends how many volunteers to have to cover all the wards in the Constituency. There were 3 of us today wearing rosettes for example out of 7 or 8 possible parties; Independent (ex-Tory) for a few hours, Reform for a few hours and me - all day. The Candidates generally go round the Constituency knock on doors and dropping into the polling stations (outside) to check on party activists..

The representatives/party activists (Tellers) usually record the numbers of the polling card (nothing to do with the official electoral staff running the station mind) - they then pass these on to the Candidates who then knock on doors of anyone missed from the list.

It’s not an accurate science as a lot of people don’t like to let you know their polling number. Some people get knocked more than once some not at all.

 

[deletebeepbeepbeep]

Very busy at Preston Park.

 

[pasty]

Reasonably busy in Horsham (Roffey polling station) about half hour ago. 10 minute queue or thereabouts.

 

[GT49er]

Just spent a wonderful week in Caudle Green - stopped in Tewkesbury on the way home for a cup of tea in 'The Lounge'. Liked the town and the bar/cafe.d been out to vote. I was quite rude to them. 9.45pm!

Don't get me wrong! - Tewkesbury's a nice little town; nothing personal against it. It's just that I live less than a mile from the centre of Gloucester, and am only interested in voting for an MP for Gloucester.
The Electoral Commission have this obsession that all constituencies must be exactly the same size - and they have it in for Gloucester. A few years ago they tried shoving a chunk of the town centre into the Forest of Dean (including the cathedral!) but that got overturned, so they set upon a nice suburb instead - unfortunately the one where I live. C**ts!

 

[Bodian]

You sure ?
Just checked the Ipsos website, and there's nothing on there mentioning any kind of lunchtime cut-off point when they stop taking exit polls. That would cut out quite a large demographic of people who go to vote after work.

People tend to be quite habitual - for instance, I have almost always voted after tea around 7pm. So, the exit polls mainly compare previous polls with what they are seeing this time around. So, for instance, if a seat has 30% labour last time, yet only 20% labour in the exit poll they can tell that there was a disproportionate amount of labour voters going later. And if 40% in the exit poll are labour this time, they can estimate that the final tally may be up around 60%.

And so on.

 

[HalfaSeatOn]

Large queue in our polling station in Horsham constituency. I was smiling, law of attraction like, to my fellow LibDem voters.

 

[Easy 10]

People tend to be quite habitual - for instance, I have almost always voted after tea around 7pm. So, the exit polls mainly compare previous polls with what they are seeing this time around. So, for instance, if a seat has 30% labour last time, yet only 20% labour in the exit poll they can tell that there was a disproportionate amount of labour voters going later. And if 40% in the exit poll are labour this time, they can estimate that the final tally may be up around 60%.

And so on.

OK. But I'm still left wondering if they actually stop exit polls at lunchtime, which seems to me unlikely.

They've got to grind the numbers so I doubt they go much beyond 9pm, as the results start being broadcasted soon after 10. Just curious as to the process.

 

[pocketseagull]

Saw this earlier, quite surprising

 

[dsr-burnley]

So this COULD mean that if it's as quiet as it (possibly) seems that the Tory vote has collapsed completely? Is that a hypothesis?

Could mean that. Could equally mean the Labour vote has collapsed (to a lesser degree, obviously!) because people have no great enthusiasm for their policies, such as they are, and think it's a foregone conclusion so their vote won't be missed.

Time will tell, and not very much time either. One more sleep to find the result, or no more sleeps if you're stopping up!