With a dedicated partnership built upon a strong foundation from an 11-year relationship, Basildon Borough Council knew that their electoral communications provider would continue to deliver as the 2024 general election period unfolded.
Based outside of Essex, Basildon Borough Council are a local government district council providing district-level services to the 180,000 residents situated in the area. The elections department is responsible for providing an accurate election to the district, including the output of printed communications to empower eligible residents to vote.
With boundary changes in early 2024, the council experienced a shift in councillors within the area with the district consisting of 42 councillors representing 14 wards.
Straight off the back of the May elections, the country experienced a somewhat early announcement that the general election would take place on the 4th July 2024, but with an 11 year partnership behind them, Basildon Borough Council were confident that their trusted partner CFH Print UK would be able to deliver their requirements and support them through the process.
With a 6-week notice period being called for the snap General Election on the 22nd of May 2024, CFH Print UK was ready and waiting to support Basildon Council with their electoral requirements. Having pre-purchased paper stock and materials, they were confident that they would be able to meet client needs on the short notice provided.
Having worked together for several years, both organisations were able to communicate effectively their requirements and make informed decisions as well as agree on a time scale that was in line with the council's output needs. A dedicated account manager was assigned to the council, who was responsible for ensuring that the process unfolded smoothly - which was further strengthened with the mutual understanding of existing requirements and how both organisations worked.
To facilitate the election requirements, a Managed Communications offering would be utilised, that provides the council with a complete IT print-driven process, enabling the various communications to be produced, proofed and checked ready for dispatch.
A full election requirement scope was initially identified with the CFH Prink UK electoral questionnaire. The questionnaire acts a powerful tool to begin the planning for any election, collecting core information including volumes, output requirements and stocks availabilities. In addition, the questionnaire is used to provide provisional dates and a timeline for the election process, that both organisations can work towards and reference throughout.
Once requirements are identified and order confirmations issued, CFH Print UK work towards providing digital document proofs for poll cards, postal packs and ballot papers that can be then checked online by Basildon for print approval. At this stage Basildon can make any final amendments, before the items enter production at CFH’s impressive print facilities.
The use of the one-piece mailer was utilised once again for the general election, which acts as a traditional postal pack vote, but provides detailed information and resources all within one letter, in one envelope. The change to this type of output was first introduced at the council in May 2023, and once layout changes were understood, the council have recognised the document type as an effective mail piece, that engages their residents and provides everything they need in one place.
The process for CFH Print UK then ends with onsite postal pack checks, whereby the teams of Basildon spend the day at a secure onsite facility to spot check documents before they are dispatched. The onsite checking has been identified as vital for Basildon Council, providing a due diligence review of the materials being dispatched and to minimise any delays. The day remains an important part of the process and helps the organisations build upon their relationship at the same time.
Once this is complete, the documents are then dispatched to Royal Mail for final mile delivery.
Whilst the short notice was unexpected, the whole process from start to finish went without error. This teams involved were knowledgeable, responsive and provided guidance throughout the 6 weeks, ensuring that everything was received and delivered on time.
Throughout the relationship, a positive partnership has been built up, with the two organisations acting as one, with a department extension attitude adopted. This includes those who work on behalf of CFH to get the job complete, including couriers such as Big D Transport.
The expertise and service are unmatched, with the peace of mind being provided throughout knowing that CFH Print UK will get the job done with their forward-thinking attitude. The final output is not only delivered on time but is accurate, with no room for improvements being identified for the service and solutions provided.
For the 2024 general election, CFH Print UK supplied 169,581 poll cards, 14,222 postal packs and 125,400 ballot papers, producing a total of 309,203 documents on behalf of Basildon Council. The two organisations see a positive future working together including the rollout of their annual canvass ahead of any 2025 elections, with CFH Print UK committed to the continuation of providing a best in class elections service.
Working with CFH Print UK for over 11 years, we’ve built a strong rapport and mutual understanding of each other’s requirements and ways of working. They provide an exceptional service, delivering everything at the highest standards and always going above and beyond. Throughout the partnership the teams have always been on hand to provide expert support and guidance, making the election process that little bit smoother and the general election of 2024 was no different. It’s always reassuring to know that they are at the end of the phone or email working hard to deliver exactly what we need, when we need it. By working with CFH Print UK we know that our election process will unfold error-free.
Elections Manager,
Basildon Borough Council
