AFTER all the meticulous preparation residents across south Essex are heading to the polling stations today to vote in the general election.

The Echo asked Basildon and Southend councils about what arrangements they had made as voters cast their votes today about how the country should be led.

Across the Southend Council area, there are 82 polling stations.

There are a further 12 in the Rochford District Council area, which are relevant to the Rochford and Southend East seat.

In total, there are more than 450 staff, including polling clerks and counting assistants, who are working for Southend Council at this election.

According to latest figures, there are 67,677 people registered to vote in Southend West and 73,501 people in Rochford and Southend East.

This shows a marked jump from the number of registered voters in the 2015 General Election, which were 66,876 people in Southend West and 71,935 people in Rochford and Southend East.

A spokesman for Southend Council said that there was a wide variety of polling station locations across the borough - so residents will see themselves casting their vote in school halls, churches and even portable cabins.

He said: “There are a mix of churches, schools, community centres, portable booths, a Salvation Army hall and Thorpe Bay bridge club, as well as a Scout hut in Southchurch.

“There is also a polling station on Foulness Island – a colleague and I help to collect postal votes from polling stations across the district during the day and bring them back to the Civic Centre. Foulness Island is interesting because obviously we have to provide our ID and sign on to get onto the island.”

Across Basildon and Billericay and South Basildon and East Thurrock, there are 90 polling stations, and 160 counters.

There are 69,149 people registered to vote in Basildon and Billericay and 73,541 in South Basildon and East Thurrock.

In the 2015 general election, there was a 65 per cent turnout of voters in Basildon and Billericay with 66,345 people registered to vote.

There was a 64 per cent turnout in South Basildon and East Thurrock with 71,155 registered to vote. The polls opened this morning at 7am and close at 10pm.