WHILE the announcement of a snap general election may have caught those responsible for ensuring voters will be able to go to the polls by surprise, the electorate in Bolton can rest assured they will be able to cast their vote.

Bolton Council's electoral services department is now in full swing ensuring polling cards are printed and posted out, staff are recruited and ballot station venues booked before voters go to the ballot boxes on June 8, in which the borough will be a key battleground for the major political parties.

Usually, local authorities have years to prepare for a general election, for the last general election it was five years rather than weeks.

Voters are being warned that they have only weeks to ensure they are registered to vote. Once registration has closed, the printing and issuing of polling cards can begin.

In previous years the count has been done at Bolton Arena in Horwich, but the venue for the count is yet to be announced.

A Bolton Council spokesman said: "Despite the short timescale, we are confident that we will be prepared and ready for June 8.

"We are currently confirming polling stations and recruiting staff to count the votes and will shortly be issuing polling cards.

"Anyone who isn’t registered to vote can still register until May 22 and postal votes can be requested until May 23."

Prime Minister Theresa May made her announcement last week before flying into Bolton to launch the Tory general election campaign from Walmsley Parish Hall in Egerton, in the Labour-held target seat of Bolton North East.

She delivered her first address of the campaign, just hours after MPs voted in favour of a snap election on June 8.

With opinion polls putting the Tories on course for a landslide victory, Sir David Crausby's Bolton North East seat will be one that the Prime Minister will be hoping to seize on June 8.

Professor Mohammed Abdel-Haq, Chairman of the Centre for Opposition Studies at the University of Bolton, said: "Councils are quite used to having to organise elections in a hurry — if there are snap elections, as with the current situation I am confident that they are quite used to it so they will manage accordingly.

"There might be a challenge when it comes to time and logistics, however as I said, they're very professional, and will have plans in place to cope.

"I think Bolton is a great town and its wonderful to see that Bolton is at the forefront of the election battle — as a politically interested person and a stakeholder in the prosperity of Bolton I find it fascinating.

"And I hope the Prime Minister enjoyed her visit and that we'll be seeing more of her and the other leaders.

"We recently launched the Centre for Opposition Studies at the University as a new initiative to advance political research, and there's never been a better time for that."

When asked if a record number of people would go to the polls as in the referendum, Professor Abdel-Haq said: "It's difficult to predict- people are clearly very interested in Brexit and what it means, and this is an important election for that reason. The polls might make some people think it's a foregone conclusion, but polls have been wrong before. I hope it's a high turnout, because elections matter."