Collection 1: Polling Stations
The UK went to the polls in its largest democratic exercise since before the pandemic.
I had the opportunity to take photos of a couple of polling stations in Carlisle. I wanted to do this because I have always taken an interest in politics, even studying politics and completing two degrees in international relations.
The photo opposite is one of my favourites because of its simplicity. The shipping container’s metallic cold uniformity contrasts the bright polling station sign well.
Scawfell Road, a polling station in a shipping container.
This was only my second ever general election that I have voted in, and so I do not know if shipping containers as polling stations have been something that has been consistent for many years, or a new phenomenon.
It may be a result of the decline in local community programmes which saw the closures of many community centres and places to meet which may in the past posed as polling stations for locals. Whatever the reason, the metallic temporary polling stations are alien and offensive to view, which spring up whenever the country demands votes from local people.
However they are quite fun to photograph.
Wigton Road Methodist Church, where God watches over your vote.
Polling stations in churches, in comparison to the shipping containers, fit perfectly into everyday life. A church is the centre of a community, it is where decisions are made (usually in the eyes of a God), and it is not alien or temporary or (usually) offensive.
Wigton Road Methodist Church, where God watches over your vote, again.
Another one from the same church. The photos in this collection have all been stylised into black and white. This is a choice made to highlight the polling station sign, which is consistent in all images. These are iconic and are the only consistent signifier across all polling stations in the UK. This consistency I felt was important and visually ties this collection together.
Denton Holme Community Centre, an endangered sight?
This collection is based on the major local community aspect of voting in a nationwide general election, and so it can only be right to feature a centre at the heart of a local community. As mentioned before, the continuing closure of local community centres is rife, and so the sight of a community centre being used as a vessel for democracy is a rare one. Who knows if the Denton Holme Community Centre will still be open come 2029? Or will this station be replaced by a green metal shell?
Democracy and its action can prove as a kind of census for local institution and community. Voting will always have to take place, and so seeing places such as a community centre being used as polling stations almost gives hope for the future.
St James’ Church, the end of the road.
The end of my quick journey around the polling stations before having to journey back home to vote myself, this was a quick snap of a polling station board as there were people chatting, coming together to vote. I do not like to capture people in these sorts of environments because I believe that everyone has the right to vote in private and I do not want to spoil that. But what I felt immense pride in was that people were using this time to chat to neighbours, help elderly people into the building, and come together as a local community. Maybe our democracy, which forces us to put physical x’s in boxes, will actually help save the few community centres we have left, help preserve the small amount of community spirit we have left.
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection, my first of many hopefully, and I hope to do this exact same thing the next time the community is called on to vote to see what differences there are in the actual physical polling stations.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY REECE
COLLECTION I