Tour of the polling stations: “When I am a delegate, I am no longer an activist”

For the second round of the ballot, “Libé” followed Barbara Collet, activist En Marche and list delegate, in her turn of the offices of Val-d’Oise. Its role: to ensure compliance with the electoral code. And repair the posters of the candidates… at least those of Macron.

From the long sleeves of her chic blazer to her ring finger striped with a white heart, everything is pink at Barbara Collet. Even the glue brush she uses to hastily paint a poster of Emmanuel Macron. On the head of the candidate sat an awkward “garbage” written in black marker and on his tie, a “McKinsey”. Without noticing the curiosity she arouses in passers-by in Domont (Val-d’Oise), the political science student breathes: “We had lots of references to McKinsey on the posters, insults too or just people who tore everything up”. The insults once covered, she returns to her car and throws her brush into a bin. Pink, of course.

Sunday evening, the Mini Cooper of the young macronist activist will head for the Champ-de-Mars for an evening of celebration, anticipates Barbara. But before the confetti, the vehicle makes a final ceremonial round in the streets of Domont and Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt. Because at 20, Barbara Collet is a list delegate for En Marche. His role ? “I have to make sure that everything is going well, that the electoral code is well respected., she summarizes, while loading her equipment into a chest overflowing with posters and LREM printed t-shirts. A crucial control function that it ensures to perform in complete neutrality: “When I am a delegate, I am no longer an activist”.

In the approximately 70,000 French polling stations, each political party presenting a candidate for the Elysée may appoint a delegate responsible for monitoring the smooth running of the ballot. An activist since her 18 years at LREM, Barbara Collet was chosen by the departmental team of En Marche, a few weeks before the first round. A first for her. “It allows me to be in contact with assessors, members of polling stations, to have a great civic experience…”rejoices this passionate about politics.

Since then, her foot on the accelerator, she has been making visits. In total: 19 polling stations are to be inspected. And this, three times a day. “Hello, I am the top delegate for Macron. Everything is going well”, she asks cheerfully as she enters the first, located in the village hall of Domont. At 9 a.m., the place is almost empty. A few hundred meters away, the market is organized and only a few gray-haired voters stop on the way to drop off a ballot. A voice replies: “There is no problem.”

No time to waste. Barbara Collet sets off again at the wheel of her Mini and against the background of Fun Radio. Direction this time the Anne-Frank school. Inside, a line of about ten people waits behind a couple in their seventies voting with a proxy. With more than 1,400 registered voters, it is the largest polling station in the city. The little music of the day resumes: “Hello, I am the top delegate for Macron. Everything is going well ?”

This time, she takes the opportunity to take a look at the two stacks of ballots: “II have to check that they are about the same height, otherwise it can pass for an incentive to vote”. A way also to prevent one of the stacks from being completely forgotten, as happened to Anne Hidalgo during the first round. Even if it remains unlikely for a second round with only two candidates. “Hey, are you laying out the envelopes in a checkerboard pattern here?” asks Barbara Collet from one of the members of the polling station. Between two verifications of electoral cards, the latter delivers the local electoral secret: this arrangement of blue envelopes “allows you to avoid finding two glued at the time of the count.”

The tour continues, at the same rhythm. In front of a desk, a mother takes a picture of her little daughter’s toothy smile, holding a voter’s card. Another enters with three teenagers, all dressed in marinières. Barbara Collet this time lists the participation rates. In more than half of the cases, they increased compared to the morning of Sunday April 10 during the first round, sometimes going as far as doubling. “We see a lot of voters arriving with trunks full of suitcases. There must be a holiday effect”assumes a member of an office in Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt.

On average, the delegate spends no more than a few minutes at each of her verification stops. In the first round no problem had been reported. “It must be said that Domont and Saint-Brice-sous-Forêt are rather calm towns”, she smiles. And also rather acquired by its candidate, Emmanuel Macron, who collected 27.57% and 25.7% of the votes cast a fortnight ago.

A single glitch is repeated ad libitum: degraded posters. Two weeks ago, the delegate had to change ten. This time, she pulled out her pink glue brush again four times. But not for that of Marine Le Pen: “It is the role of the RN delegate… But I don’t know if there is one here”she breathes.

Tray tidy, trunk slammed, Barbara Collet sets off again, one hand on the steering wheel, the other looking for candy. His cell phone vibrates and a Telegram conversation bringing together the department’s forty Macronist delegates appears on his screen: “There was a problem in a nearby town”. Supporting photo, a member reports a printing defect on “Emmanuel Macron” bulletins. “It may seem silly, but if we don’t report it in the minutes of the office, it could end up making us lose an election”, notes delegate Barbara Collet, pulling the handbrake and grabbing the glue again. A few minutes later, she gets back in her Mini, her eyebrows furrowed: her pink blazer is stained. Electoral collateral damage.