Voters could go to the polls in chilly caravan awnings and garages if there is a December election, a top official warned today.
With school halls booked for Christmas events and fewer public buildings suitable as polling stations, election chiefs will have to improvise, said Laura Lock, deputy chief executive of The Association of Electoral Administrators.
“So it could be people actually end up voting in garages or caravan awnings,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today.
“We’ve had in the past things like that. So spare a thought for the people working in a caravan awning for 15 hours.”
Ms Lock said the uncertainty about the election date meant officials could not print millions of postal voting slips and other documents in advance, meaning delays.
Postal votes may be late and expats should arrange a proxy vote rather than rely on the mail.
Extra gritters would be needed to make sure electors get to the polls in bad weather, and lighting units to maintain safety on dark evenings at some polling stations.
The country’s 2,000 election officials will hit the phones today to make provisional bookings for December 12 — though the date could change.
