“This dissolution is a decision taken with a vengeance! “. It was the evening of June 9, just after the announcement of the dissolution. Furibard, Stéphane le Doaré, mayor of Pont-l’Abbé, was already planning in the organization of the legislative elections, and in particular in the second round, Sunday July 7, closing day of the Brodeuses festival, which welcomes 15,000 festival-goers to its city.
Cancellation of a theater festival
After the rant, it was time to get to work. As Stéphane le Doaré expected, several obstacles quickly appeared. Gaëlle Le Borgne, head of the citizenship service, relates: “We realized that we had ten events this weekend of June 29 and 30, including a theater festival.” Faced with the challenge, the Trémail company chose to cancel its “theater in bulk.”
Polling stations in the Brodeuses area
The remaining issue was the organization of the polling stations. The municipality has seven, divided between the Patronage Laïque and the Triskell cultural center. However, the Patronage Laïque is located within the perimeter of the Brodeuses, the emblematic Bigouden festival which celebrates its 70th anniversary from July 4 to 7, 2024. On July 7, you have to pay to enter the perimeter. What’s more, the Patronage Laïque serves as HQ for the dance groups and musicians, who rehearse there…
Finally, we placed two desks in the hall, three on the stage and the last two in the part of the room that does not host the exhibition!
Three polling stations on one stage
As early as June 12, the question was decided: the 6,931 voters will converge, for the two rounds, on the Triskell, where the seven offices will be distributed. The problem is that the cultural center is hosting, from July 1, the event exhibition dedicated to the painter Jacques Godin. Tempête sous les crânes… “In the end, we placed two offices in the hall, three on the stage and the last two in the part of the room that is not hosting the exhibition!” smiles Gaëlle Le Borgne.
A shuttle and a bracelet for certain voters
Letters to voters affected by this move, banners at town entrances, messages on social networks, articles in newspapers: the information was widely disseminated. But how will the many elderly people residing in the Kerarthur district, who until then walked to the Secular Patronage, get there? A free shuttle has been set up. And on July 7, voters residing within the Brodeuses area will be given a bracelet to be able to return to their homes.
“We feel solidarity”
At the same time, the municipal agents of the elections department registered proxies by the shovel. “We are today (this Friday, Editor’s note) at 430, more than double than usual,” specifies Laurent Motreff, deputy mayor. A final fear arose: the lack of assessors and scrutineers, “because many are also volunteers on the Brodeuses. Eventually, many voters volunteered. We have the impression that people feel concerned. We feel solidarity. It is also an important moment in the history of our country.”
