Library closed due to use as polling station

BREAKING NEWS! Forest Hill Library will be closed all day on Thursday 3rd May due to the Library being used as the local Polling Station for the Mayoral and Local Councillor Elections from 7am til 10pm. SORRY FOR ANY INCONVENIENCE CAUSED! buff.ly/2HChUru

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Just out of curiosity - and I’m sure you’d want to be civic-minded about these sorts of things - but did the Library get any choice in the matter, given that it’s now a community asset and not a local authority one?

The library could have refused to be a polling station but it wouldn’t be a very nice thing to do. Previously only the children’s library has been closed on polling days but last year we had problems with some people forcing open the doors between the libraries to use the back exit through the polling station. This isn’t right for a polling station and is not good for a set of temperamental automatic doors. Sadly this means the whole library will be closed for the day (and I still have to open it up at 5.30am)

Schools are also obviously anxious in contemporary times to reduce lost time due to elections.

The art form is to find an establishment nearby that can act as a valid polling station and is willing to co-operate in the changeover.

Soz, I’m not opening or closing on the day, I will be fast asleep at 5.30am

We’ve put out as many posters around as possible to advertise this, put one in the traders community board at the station last night too.

Thanks @Bruceshire for doing the posters yesterday morning