WITH just one week to go until polling day it's a busy time for Alan Winchcombe.

Swindon's acting deputy returning officer is responsible for making sure everything goes right on May 5 which involves a lot of planning.

And that planning started long before Tony Blair announced the election date.

"We started just after Christmas," says Mr Winchcombe, talking at a rate which betrays just how hectic things are now getting.

"There was this rumour that there was going to be an election in May so we made some initial preparations.

"One thing was to provisionally book the 75 polling stations and we also wrote to all the staff we use asking if they would be available."

Between 400 and 500 people are needed to man the polling stations and the counts and the aim is for no one to work both of those shifts.

"We try not to duplicate people because if you are working at both you will be starting at about 6.30am and not finishing until 2.30am the next day," said Mr Winchcombe.

"We also did some preparation work on postal voting because everybody was expecting an upsurge in postal voting.

"We did as much pre-planning as we could without actually knowing that it was the fifth of May.

"The moment the date was known we were able to take advantage of that pre-planning to confirm polling stations and staff and press the button to get the postal voting documentation printed.

"Then we had to wait for the writ to arrive."

The formal election writ is served on the returning officer, so-called because he is the person who returns the writ to Parliament with the result on election night.

He fills in the name of the new MP and the writ is taken direct from the count to London by Royal Mail.

"This is the only document they will take notice of," says Mr Winchcombe before taking it back to its safe place in his office.

"I did get to a count once and realise I had left the writ in the office but we are much more organised now."

Since the writ arrived the election staff have been busy receiving nominations from candid- ates, getting ballot papers printed, making arrangements for polling stations, liaising with police about security for the count and processing postal vote applications.

In 2001 8,000 people in Swindon voted by post but more than 13,500 people have applied this time round, despite publicity about the problems with postal voting, and 11,000 postal ballot papers were issued on Monday alone.

"There are 101 jobs to do but our biggest task has been dealing with the postal votes."

For Mr Winchcombe all this is on top of his normal job as electoral and office services manager, which includes running the council's mail service.

And he won't even be taking a well-earned break after all the hard work leading up to election day.

The election staff will be in the office bright and early on May 6 to start processing the pay for everyone who worked on the day, and then there is the next job to start.

"As soon as this is out of the way we start work compiling the 2006 list of electors. That is what we are here for.

"I have been doing it 40 years and it is still a huge buzz. It is hard work but it is almost good fun really.

"It is a short space of time to do everything. But it gets done we haven't failed yet and we are not about to."

And there is no need to worry about when Mr Winchcombe will find time to vote. He made sure he got his application for a postal vote in before Tuesday's deadline.

The text of the writ

Elizabeth the Second by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and of Our other Realms and Territories Queen Head of the Commonwealth Defender of the Faith To the Returning Officer for the South Swindon Constituency Greeting

Whereas by the advice on Our Council We have ordered a Parliament to be holden at Westminster on the eleventh day of May next We Command you that due notice being first given you do cause election to be made according to law of a Member to serve in Parliament for the said South Swindon Constituency. And that you do cause the name of such Member when so elected whether he be present or absent to be certified to Us in Our Chancery without delay

Witness Ourself at Westminster the eleventh day of April in the fifty-fourth year of Our Reign and in the year of Our Lord Two thousand and five

To the Returning Officer for the South Swindon Constituency

A writ of a new election of a Member for the said Constituency

Crown Office in Chancery, Palace of Westminster

Isabel Field