Voting boss cancels holiday for general election

Alison Greenhil acts as returning officer for three Leicester constituencies

A council worker in charge of voting in Leicester says she had to cancel her holiday when the general election was called.

Alison Greenhill, chief operating officer at Leicester City Council, acts as returning officer for three parliamentary constituencies during the election process.

She said said news of the national poll had come as a "complete shock".

Ms Greenhill had been due to fly to Mauritius on 27 May but is now making arrangements for 1,100 staff to run 124 polling stations across the city, as well as the count at the Mattioli Arena in Charter Street on 4 July.

No warning

She had been in a meeting on 22 May when "someone rushed in and said 'you need to watch the BBC - I think they're announcing a general election'."

"I thought it was April Fool's Day," she added.

Ms Greenhill said local electoral officials were not given any advance notice, but she and her 12-strong election team had already started their planning.

"We knew a general election was going to happen this year, but I didn't think it was going to happen quite so soon," she added.

"It's normally a six months' project and we are doing it in six weeks."

Ms Greenhill only became returning officer in February, but has been working on elections in Leicester for 38 years.

A number of polling stations will be opened across the city

Preparations to turn public buildings across the city into polling stations are now under way, Ms Greenhill said.

"Schools really go out of their way to accommodate us," she added.

"Some are having to re-think their plans for activity days."

Ms Greenhill had been due to go on her holiday on Bank Holiday Monday but said she and her election services manager had both had to "cancel our holidays" following the announcement.

She added: "You have to make sure we are here, that all the team is available. This takes precedence."

Her holiday has now re-booked for January, she said.