AFTER four weeks of relentless campaigning, at 7am tomorrow the polls open and the people finally have their say.

It will be a long day and night for politicians making their final attempts to win votes and for all those who play a part in the huge operation that makes election day run smoothly.

When the polling stations close at 10pm, that operation really swings into action.

Rural constituencies have the logistical task of getting ballot papers to the counting point – counting cannot start until all boxes have been delivered.

In North Dorset, for example, boxes will have to make the journey from Verwood to the count in Blandford – a 16-mile journey along country roads.

As a consequence, that count is not expected to declare until around 3.30am.

The longest night is expected in South Dorset, where Labour’s Jim Knight is facing strong challenges to his 1,812 majority.

If there is no recount, the result could be announced as early as 3am, but recent elections have not been that straightforward.

PARLIAMENTARY candidates in Dorset have dismissed talk of tactical voting.

Yesterday Labour ministers Ed Balls and Peter Hain appeared to encourage people living in Liberal Democrat/Conservative marginal seats to vote Lib Dem to keep the Tories out.

In several Dorset constituencies that could have an effect.

• Bournemouth East – 1.30am-3am

• Bournemouth West – 1.30am-3am

• Poole – 2.30am

• Mid Dorset and North Poole – 3am

• North Dorset – 8am (update)

• South Dorset – 5am

• West Dorset – 2-3am

• Christchurch – 2.30am

• New Forest East – 1.30am-2.30am

• New Forest West – 1.30am-2.30am.

Based on the 2005 election, Labour voters supporting the Lib Dems on Thursday could cause problems for the Tories in Bournemouth East and West, North Dorset and Poole.

In all of those constituencies, the winning candidate in 2005 had a majority that was less than the Labour vote.

Conservative candidate Robert Walter said: “My response to Labour ministers making this suggestion is that they are simply confirming that you can vote Liberal Democrat to keep Gordon Brown.”

Lib Dem candidate Emily Gasson said doorstep pledges of support from former Conservative and UKIP voters would help her to victory.

Mike Bunney, the Labour party’s candidate in North Dorset, said traditional analyses of election trends had “collapsed” during the 2010 campaign.

Keep up with events throughout the night at bournemouthecho.co.uk And don’t miss Friday’s Daily Echo with 15 pages of reports and results from the Dorset and New Forest counts.