by Martin Jefferies

If you think deciding which party to vote for is a difficult task, spare a thought for the man charged with co-ordinating the election in Thanet.

Barry Rowbotham, an electoral services officer at Thanet council, oversees 79 polling stations across two constituencies - not to mention the 90 people responsible for counting tens of thousands of votes.

He said: "My job is to make sure the election happens and that includes finding staff to man the polling stations, dealing with candidates' nomination forms and making sure all the ballot papers are printed correctly.

"Then, when the polls close at 10pm, the ballot boxes are sealed and brought back to the Margate Winter Gardens, where all votes cast are then counted."

Asked why people should cast their vote on polling day, Mr Rowbotham said: "You have to bear in mind that an awful lot of people work very long hours to ensure everyone is able to vote; it really is a team effort. It's so important that local people take part in the election, otherwise we feel like we've done all this extra work in vain!"

Council employees make up the majority of the counting team at the Winter Gardens and are overseen by Richard Samuel, the returning officer, as well as candidates, election agents and party representatives.

Officials involved in the counting process and those in charge of polling stations must adhere to basic guidelines, right down to what they wear on the day.

Mr Rowbotham said: "We've got to be careful because if voters turned up and saw us wearing red jumpers, for example, they could make a false assumption about which party we're supporting!"