The presidential election is a countdown in town hall. The polling stations must be ready, but above all supervised by volunteers. It’s a year again it was necessary to multiply the initiatives to find the required number of assessors. These citizens responsible for ensuring the smooth running of the ballot.
50 volunteer assessors
In Lunel, 16 polling stations should allow the 18,123 registered voters to vote in the presidential election on 10 and 24 April. 16 offices this implies at least 32 assessors permanently present around the ballot box, i.e. in reality around fifty volunteers if a few substitutes are included. The latter allow in particular the titular assessors to have a meal or to go and vote in their office to which they are attached.
From election to election “we must renew the breeding ground (of assessors, editor’s note)”, explains Stéphane Dalle, Lunel’s first deputy. But since the last regional and departmental meetings, last year, this need is more urgent than before.
The parties, less mobilized than before
Until recently, political parties provided most of the assessors among their members. This mobilization is now less marked and cities, like Lunel, are forced to innovate. The town hall first solicited the associations to find new volunteers.
– Valentine BERTRAND
As president of the Lunel Avenir association, Bernard Dirixel (76) was contacted. But at his level too, he struggles to mobilize: “There is a demobilization. We see it in my association: _it’s complicated to mobilize young people (…) for democratic life_.”
Appeal to the public
As a last resort, she launched (last week) an appeal to the population. A message relayed on social networks and in the local press to mobilize citizens.
“In 3 days we found around forty additional people”, explains Stéphane Dalle. With now 55 assessors, Lunel is ready for the first round. But good intentions are welcome. to take over from the assessors during the day.