ALONGSIDE his day job as chief executive of Colchester Council, Adrian Pritchard is a returning officer and registrar, appointed by the Queen no less, for the forthcoming elections.

On the evening of May 6, and well into, May 7, he will oversee the counting of votes for the Colchester and North Essex seats in the general election at Colchester Leisure World.

Then, after a few hours rest, votes for 20 seats on Colchester Council will be totted up on Friday afternoon.

After months of planning, 315 people will man more than 100 polling booths across the north of Essex.

Then, in the evening, another 160 staff will be on hand to count the votes.

Many things could go wrong, and it is up to Mr Pritchard to make sure they do not, or to find a quick solution if they do.

“My whole raison d’etre is to not disenfranchise people and make sure they vote,” he said.

“This is about democratic process, and I believe desperately in it.”

It is perhaps surprising that fewer residents in Colchester chose to vote, compared to their counterparts nationwide, at the last general election.

While the national average turnout was 61.4 per cent, only 57.46 per cent of the 70,000 or so Colchester residents eligible to vote, did so.

In neighbouring North Essex, as a contrast, nearly two thirds of registered voters cast their ballots.

Mr Pritchard identified two factors contributing to Colchester’s low turnout.

Firstly, thousands of residents commute to London on polling day, and are often unable to reach a polling station before they leave or after they return.

Secondly, the 2,500 soldiers at Colchester’s Garrison are also less likely to vote, partly because they often do not stay in the town for more than a year or two.

Mr Pritchard said: “I think there’s an issue around the feeling of community. People do work in London or are in the Garrison or work in Chelmsford. They think ‘I’m not really part of the community’.

“But actually they drive on the roads, most of their children get educated at state schools and they use the health service.”

Earlier this year, the council held a registering drive at the Garrison, while commuters are being encouraged to get a postal vote.

Their efforts appear to be working, with 200 people registering to vote every day, while 150 people applied for postal votes.

But Mr Pritchard’s drive to boost turnout was probably not helped by last year’s MPs’ expenses scandal.

He said: “If you had asked me a few months ago, I would have said the turnout would be really low because the expenses scandal went on for a long time.

“Really I think a heck of a lot of people were disillusioned with politicians full stop, let alone MPs.

“But I think that has lessened a little bit.”

He added: “I’d like to see the turnout better for both constituencies.

“If it was the same or better, I think that would be a result given what’s happened over the past six or nine months.”

Mr Pritchard insisted the common refrain that whoever you vote for will not make a difference is wrong.

“Sadly there is a bit of apathy about whether it will make a difference,” he said.

“Actually, certainly at the MP level, they’re the people who will determine our laws for the next five years and will definitely determine what we’re going to fund in the public sector, for good, bad or indifferent.”

“They’re going to decide on the party service or local Government getting more or less.

“That will have a pretty significant effect on people’s lives.”

Over the past few months, a debate has raged nationally as to whether votes should be counted as soon as possible on Thursday night, or after a good night’s sleep on Friday morning.

Mr Pritchard firmly declares himself a “traditionalist”.

“I actually think it’s about getting the result out as soon as I possibly can after people have voted,” he said. “I do think with the overnight for general elections, people have an expectation.

“They might not stay up to 5am or 6am to see the last remnants, but they will stay up to 2am or 3am and hopefully they will see a Colchester constituency result by then.”

Mr Pritchard said his team weighed up the logistics of getting the 146 ballot boxes from as far afield as Harwich and getting the votes counted at a reasonable hour.

He estimates Colchester should be called by around 2.30am, with Harwich and North Essex following an hour later.

Mr Pritchard added: “If I can do that, then I think it’s worth counting on the night.”

l If you have not registered to vote in the general election yet, you have until Tuesday, April 20 to do so. Forms are available at colchester.gov.uk/elections or from the elections team on 01206 282820.