The morning after

Not a long post as I'm still recovering from the democratic marathon of the last couple of days. But here we are, results all known and the post match analysis well underway. I can't - and actually don't want to - comment on the results but I do want to tell you a bit about my experience of the process.

I've had the great privilege to spend the last 2 days playing an active role in the election and it has been fantastic. It's a real perk of my job that I get to take part.

For me, election day started at 6am on Thursday as I headed out to start my round of Polling Place inspections and it all ended last night at 5pm when we finished the AV referendum count. I did manage to squeeze some sleep in there on Friday morning between 2 and 6 am, but otherwise I was on the go the whole time.

It's a long, hard graft - and believe it or no,t I got off lightly by only needing to be involved on the day (and day after!) itself. For many of my colleagues it's been a marathon that's taken over the last few months to make sure that all the arrangements ran smoothly on the day - sorting the polling places, recruiting and training the polling and count staff, administering the postal ballots, registering the candidates, making up the polling place packs and much much more.

It's a lot of work and effort, yes. But it is one of the most important things we do, so that's fitting. I never cease to be impressed by the professionalism and efficiency of our elections team. It's due in no small part to them and their hard work that things ran so smoothly. Well done, guys.

And well done too, to all of you who went out and voted. I'd have loved the turn out to be higher but over 50% wasn't bad. Turnout in Stirling was a little bit higher than average at nearer 57% but it does mean that almost 1 in 2 people eligible to vote opted not to.

But if you missed out, don't worry - you'll get another chance next May in the council elections!

Excitement grows

I blogged yesterday about the importance of voting, and the excitement we should all feel about an election. And for me today the excitement grew. Having undertaken my training as a stand by, today it was confirmed that tomorrow I get to be a Polling Station Inspector. Yay! It will be the first time I've had a formal role in an election and I'm thrilled.

I've had a bit part in the last 2 major elections - 2007 as candidate liaison at the count, with the unenviable task of trying to explain the electronic counting system; and last year just helping out at the count - my main responsibility was acting as runner for the counters and sealing up the unused ballot envelopes. There's such an adrenaline rush being involved, and since you know my views on our rights and responsibility in relation to voting, you'll realise I see this as a real perk of the job.

Thinking back, my first real experience of elections was in 1974 when the then Conservative (?) government had the audacity to call one of the year's 2 elections on my birthday in February. I can remember asking my Mum what she voted, and being told in no uncertain terms that you didn't ask that question. What a person votes is personal and private to them. This is emphasised in the guidance and training for my current role. The primary purpose and responsibility of polling station staff is to ensure people are able to vote, and to do so in secret and with utmost privacy.

After my inaugural - and not particularly promising - brush with democracy, my interest remained piqued. I can remember Thatcher being elected PM in 1979 - more because she was the first (and still, only) woman than because of her politics. Then in High School I developed a deep and abiding interest in politics as a whole (thanks Mr Walker, my fab Modern Studies teacher) - and it's stayed with me ever since.

 As a student I got the chance to be involved personally - staffing a polling station at one election, running the campaign for a student candidate at another, and even standing for election myself. I was spared canvassing, however, as no-one stood against me (in either of the positions I stood for) and I was therefore returned unopposed. I loved the counts most of all - all the glitz, glamour and excitement.

And now I get to do it for real as part of my job. Sometimes there really are perks!

Tomorrow's going to be busy - with an early start. My inspection route is out in the rural part of our area and I need to be at my first station when polls open at 7 am, 2 visits during the day to each station and then I'll not be able to resist heading on to the first part of the count tomorrow evening. We're doing a Friday count but that still means there's ballot box receipt and ballot paper reconciliation to be completed tomorrow, so it will probably be Friday before my day ends. And then up early again the next day for the count proper. And since we're counting on Friday rather than overnight on Thursday, if the election result is as close as some of the polls suggest it might be, we could be in the eye of the storm as regards overall results.

As I said, excitement grows!!