Booths and ballots - voters could experience quad vision

Oh, to be in Leicester South this Spring. Not content with one election this May, the constituency's lucky voters are to have four elections on the same day!

That means four separate ballot forms to elect city councillors, a city Mayor, the AV referendum on changing the voting system... and now, there'll be a parliamentary by-election too.

It's a fascinating constituency. Leicester's main sporting venues are in Leicester South. It's also home to the city's two universities. One of De Montfort University's senior political lecturers, Allister Jones, can't believe his luck.

"Four elections in Leicester South, three for the rest of the city. It's unprecedented and really fascinating," he told me.

It's the decision of Labour MP Sir Peter Soulsby to stand down to run as Leicester's Mayor that's given the voters of Leicester South the prospect of four elections on the same day.

It's prompted memories of the Leicester South by-election six years ago and a sensational Lib Dem triumph. City councillor Parmjit Singh Gill took the seat off Labour with an eye-watering 21% swing.

But will the voters - especially the students of Leicester South - back the Lib Dems this time round?

Says Allister Jones: "The students make up 20% of the voting population and they could have a profound influence on the whole outcome."

Ask many students here how they'll vote... and there seems little to cheer for the Lib Dems.

One second year politics student told me: "As a person who voted Liberal Democrat, I am not very happy. I will be voting differently this time and it certainly won't be for the Coalition."

One third of the constituency's population is of Asian background. The Iraq war dominated the last by-election in 2004 with the Lib Dems winning over much of the sizeable Muslim vote. Community leader and author Suleman Nagdi says the issue is now the economy.

"I think employment is the single biggest factor that affects all of us. Health and education are in the background, but people's immediate concerns are losing their jobs."

That's a particular concern in Eyres Monsall and Aylestone, two of the big predominantly white council estates in the south of the constituency.



"There you will soon see the huge impact of the Coalition's spending cuts. People are losing public services and it's these people who'll be hurt the most," adds Allister Jones.

On the other side of the constituency, there are the affluent suburbs of Knighton and Stoneygate.

"For the Lib Dems to do well in Leicester South, they'll need to get their core voters out from these particular wards, but the Tories will be breathing down their necks."

There's another novelty for Leicester South's voters. The Leicester Tigers rugby club is one of the best known landmarks in the constituency and for the first time, it's being used as the count for all four elections.

Inside, overlooking the counting staff and politicians, there'll be the sparking silverware of the Leicester Tigers magnificent trophy cabinet... but which party will get the lion's share of this particular election scrum?