Agenda item

(Director of Governance) To consider the attached report.

The Select Committee received a report regarding the County Council and Parliamentary Elections held in May and June 2017 from the Returning Officer, G Chipp.

Members were asked to consider a review of the management of those elections and to recommend to the Returning Officer any changes to the procedure for future elections.

The Returning Officer advised that in his opinion, the processes put into place for these two elections were the most effective they had been since he became the Returning Officer.

This year had no respite for the Elections Team in the amount of work they had to carry out, as whilst they were involved in the County Council Elections, an unexpected snap General Election was announced on the 18 April 2017 to be held on the 8 June 2017. This in turn created a very heavy workload for the Elections Team and the Council. There were also three by-elections this year in Chigwell, Epping and Ongar and a further one arranged for the Lower Sheering ward in October 2017. The Returning Officer expressed his personal thanks to everyone across the Council who got involved in the Elections to make it run as smoothly and efficiently as it did. He also gave his thanks to the Police and Chief Inspector Lewis Basford for a very visible police presence at the General Election polling stations and maintaining the security of the election process.

The Returning Officer stated with the two elections so close together duplication of on-line registration was high as the Governments publicity information created confusion.

Postal Voting

Postal voting had increased in popularity, there were 9,274 postal packs sent out for the County Council elections of which 5,300 packs were returned and counted. There were 8,305 postal packs sent out for the UKPGE which included 192 sent to overseas electors. A total of 123 postal applications were rejected, due to problems arising by the voter failing to enter their date of birth correctly and not due to fraudulent activity. This would be addressed by revisiting the layout of the form and making minor adjustments.

S Hill advised that the regulations around votes being rejected had changed and the Council were now required to advise voters if their vote had been rejected and the reason why. The 123 voters had been written to and asked if they would like to refresh their postal vote application.

The Returning Officer advised that despite the assurances from the Royal Mail that a full postal sweep would be completed on the evening of the 8 June, there were only 3 packets returned by Royal Mail at the count, a further 45 late packets arrived at the Council’s Civic Offices on the Friday and Monday after the election.

Members expressed concern regarding the cost of the final sweep and the fact that 45 packets were delivered after the deadline and asked if there was anything the Council could do to prevent this happening for future elections. Members asked the Returning Officer if  the Council had informed the voters of the late packs and that their votes were not counted.

The Returning Officer advised that by law the Council were not allowed to open the late packs as they had to be destroyed as they were received.

Councillor S Sartin stated that the Council had no proof that they were not posted on time.

Staffing

The Returning Officer stated that staffing levels for the polling stations, verification and counts were adequate. However staffing for the UKPGE in June was more problematic with many staff being on holiday. The Returning Officer decided to put some staff on standby to which EFDC paid for this as the Government would not pay for staff to be kept on standby.

Officers from Democratic Services and other sections provided support to the Electoral Staff Services by helping with enquiries regarding voting and registration. The level of staff required for the issue and opening of the postal votes proved to be correct as these procedures were all completed in good time. Directors were helpful in making officers available for these processes.

Polling Day Issues

The Returning Officer advised that all the Districts Polling Stations were fully operational in May and June. In May local residents reported difficulties trying to access the polling station in Lambourne, this was due to road resurfacing works. Officers contacted the County Returning Officer and the roadworks were suspended for the remainder of the day.

A Presiding Officer in Loughton identified a person voting twice. The Police interviewed a male who immediately admitted to voting for himself and then for his father. He was given a caution and wrote a letter to apologise to the Council.

There was one complaint received for the County election in May from a member of the public who had experienced delays in a polling station in Epping, this had stemmed from the mismarking of the register. This was resolved by the Deputy Returning Officer and was relayed to staff at the briefing session for the June election and there was no re-occurrence.

There were three complaints recorded for the UKPGE in June:

·         A German national who was not sent a postal vote (EU nationals cannot vote at a UKPGE);

·         A voter complaining about a teller speaking to voters on their way into the polling station; and

·         A postal voter, after having returned their postal vote by post, now wished to change the way they had voted.

Councillor Wixley noted that there were building works occurring at Whitebridge School and asked if the Council would go back to using this school as a polling station in the future. The Returning Officer advised that once the building works had been completed then the Council would use Whitebridge School as a polling station again.

The Returning Officer reported that some schools were reluctant to close and be used as polling stations and were asking for count staff to have a Disclosure and Barring Service certificate. He advised that his powers as a Returning Officer could require that schools be opened to use as a polling station for any election.

Members expressed concerns over voters being able to vote more than once in different districts and asked if there were any checks implemented to stop this.

The Returning Officer advised that there were no checks available to control people voting multiple times and stated that this would be a very difficult procedure to put into place. Voters can just turn up at a polling station give their name and address and providing they were on the register and not already marked off they would be given a ballot paper.

S Hill advised that the Government were trialling identification procedures for voters at stations in Watford in May 2018, by barcoding polling cards. He was not sure how this would work as it was noted that many people do not bring their poll cards when they come to vote.

The Returning Officer asked Members for their views on holding a Candidates and Agents meeting prior to an election. He advised that they were not very well attended and consequently one was not set up for the May County election. He asked Members if they thought a meeting should be held or the information could be sent by email.

Councillor Wixley stated that the Candidates and Agents should be asked if they would like a meeting prior to an election.

S Hill replied that the Council did not know who would be standing before the meeting.

Councillor H Whitbread stated that when she was up for election the meeting was at 6pm and she did not attend because she was out canvassing at that time.

Councillor Stallan stated that maybe we should not hold them, if the attendance was considerably low and if candidates or agents complained that they should have a meeting then it could be reinstated the following year.

The Returning Officer acknowledged that this was a sensible way forward and that it could be reviewed at any time.

Members therefore recommended to the Returning Officer that there would be no Candidates/Agents meeting before the election in 2018 but that it could be reviewed after the election if so required.

            RESOLVED:

(1)          That the management of the County Council Election on 5 May 2017 and the UK Parliamentary Election on 8 June 2017 be noted; and

(2)          That Members agreed that there would not be a Candidates/Agents meeting before the election in 2018 but this would be reviewed after the election.