In Montpellier (Hérault), all the voters taking part in the municipal elections on Sunday may, if they wish, leave the polling stations with the pencil used to sign off. To avoid the spread of the coronavirus, the town hall decided, for the first round, to order 160,000 black ink ballpoint pens. "And as much for the second round, blue ink," said one at the town hall. Or, in the end, an order for 320,000 models of the Bic brand (the usual supplier) made in France. There will be something for everyone, even in the event of a record turnout: in Montpellier, there are, in fact, 154,000 registered voters.
The Hérault city is no exception. To prevent pencils from passing from hand to hand, many cities have decided to offer them for single use only to those who will go to the polls. Most of the time, it is the famous “crystal” of the Bic brand, which has seen “an increase in orders from its distributors for 24 hours”. The French company claims to be able to respond to demand "within two to three days".
"We don't offer goodies!"
In Béziers (Hérault), 40,000 black ballpoint pens will thus be "at the disposal of voters" on Sunday. “Either they throw them away after having signed up, or they keep them for themselves. But of course, we don't want it to be treated as a gift, we don't offer goodies! "Insists Arthur Bachès, director of communication in the mayor's office. According to him, this ballot during a coronavirus epidemic leads, in the first round, to an additional cost for the municipality of 12,000 euros in equipment (pens, bottles with hydroalcoholic gel, wipes, etc.) without counting the additional personnel costs.
In Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), 20,000 pens will flock to the city's 204 polling stations in 48 schools. Each can be used several times but must first be cleaned with "a disinfectant wipe". In Mulhouse (Haut-Rhin), which is one of the “clusters” (center of infection) in France, “there will be more pens than usual” and all will be “disinfected” at the end of each signature according to the town hall. “Volunteer” municipal agents will also be mobilized, for this cleaning mission in particular.
In all polling stations, nothing prevents voters from going to the voting booths with their personal pen in order to sign the signature lists as reminded by a circular taken Monday evening by Christophe Castaner, the Minister of the Interior. It is even advised. "It is recommended that voters bring their own indelible blue or black ink pen," says Place Beauvau.