An anthill that rustles with a background hubbub: discussions, bursts of laughter, rustling of paper, crashing of boxes, friction of cart wheels. But above all, a lot of concentration.
Provision of the exhibition center by the community
In the hall of the exhibition center, usually dedicated to the organization of shows, more than 250 people have been active since 8 a.m. on Saturday June 22. “If the 449 town halls of the department have the obligation to make the polling stations available, on the other hand, they have no obligation regarding the location of the envelope. This is why I thank the community which has made the exhibition center available for several years. And there, we know, we are acting urgently with the holding of early legislative elections”explains Alain Bucquet, the prefect of the Ardennes who came to support his troops.
And the mechanics are perfectly oiled. The room is divided into three constituencies: the 2e on the left, the 3e to the right. ” The 1time constituency where there are the most candidates, eight, is installed in the middle »specifies the state representative.
The average was 3,400 envelopes. Our table made 4,000 and the record was 4,700
Timothée, Salomé, Victoire, Mauren are students. They took a seat at one of the tables of the 2e constituency. There are 248 people participating in the envelope placement this Saturday. Timothée was already in charge of putting envelopes for the Europeans. “We started this morning at 8 hours and we will probably finish around 5 p.m. For the Europeans, where there were 37 lists, we finished later. » At the table, everyone knows their role. “ Taking the ballot papers, the propaganda, putting them in envelopes and closing them, yes it’s a bit of assembly line work. agrees the young man who does not stop his painstaking work. It’s Marie-France, an agent from the department, who closes the envelopes. Marion, one of whose missions is to control six tables, explains that during the break, at 10:30 a.m.: “29% of the work was done. The pace drops a little after the meal. »
Timothé and his team, the same as for the Europeans, intend to beat his record. “The average was 3,400 envelopes; our table made 4,000 and the record was 4,700.” Students or job seekers know that they will be paid by the envelope. Between the European elections and the legislative elections, this represents several hundred euros for Timothé.
Bandages on every table
Everyone has their own technique: latex gloves to prevent ink from getting on their fingers, a small school sponge to remove the leaves. “And bandages… insists Marie-France. We cut ourselves very easily and very often with leaves and envelopes. »
This makes for palettes of leaflets rigorously controlled and validated, in substance and form, by the national and then local commissions. “No question of seeing the photo of an animal on a ballot”, confides one of the agents of the elections service of the Ardennes prefecture. The candidates’ programs slipped into large white envelopes which will then be duly addressed to each of the 186,869 Ardennes voters.
Postal workers were also hard at work this Saturday to group the boxes by distribution points, precisely labeled to arrive right at the right distribution center of the Post Office, the prefecture’s partner for the delivery of electoral propaganda. Last Saturday carat. And repeat on July 3 for the wrapping up of the second round on July 7. With probably less work for little hands.
