Huge London general election day turnout with massive queues and polling stations '20 times busier'

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Tim Baker12 December 2019
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Massive queues have formed outside polling stations in London on election day, with one man claiming his was "20 times busier" than in 2017.

One woman said she was queueing for 35 minutes outside her polling station, which was the busiest she had seen it in 20 years of voting there.

Polls close at 10pm, and many people would have been hoping to tick their preferred box before heading to work.

Schools, churches and other buildings were freed up today in the calendar for the December 12 election - the first since 1923 to be held in this month.

“I’ve voted at the same station and time for eight years, but have never had to queue before,” said Craig Fordham, 45, from Putney, who had to wait for 15 minutes.

Chris Schofield queued for 20 minutes in the Bermondsey and Old Southwark constituency.

“It’s about 20 times busier than it was in 2017, and for the locals and Euro elections,” the 27-year-old consultant said.

“Atmosphere is very London: orderly queueing and no-one is talking to each other!”

Mr Schofield said there were over 70 voters waiting outside, adding that there were at least three officers working at the station but only one taking addresses from voters.

Asked why he thought there were so many queueing, he said: “I think it’s the election of a lifetime for many of us.”

Alixe Bovey said she was queueing for 35 minutes in her Streatham constituency.

Sharing a photo of the queue outside her local station, she tweeted: “In 20 years of voting in Streatham Hill, always at about this time of day, I have never encountered a queue of more than six or seven people.

“What is going on. The tailback is right up the road now.”

Meanwhile a burst water main in south London was not enough to stop people voting as they waded through to take their part in the election.

Hannah Tookey, who waded through the water in Bermondsey to cast her vote, tweeted: “It was too deep to wade through the middle, even in wellies.”

General Election 2019: Polling Day - In pictures

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