Select Committee on Office of the Deputy Prime Minister: Housing, Planning, Local Government and the Regions Written Evidence


Memorandum by Sunderland City Council (PVF 07)

GENERAL

  1.  There were no problems because of the publishing of the necessary Statutory Instruments. However, because Sunderland City Council had been subject to a Periodic Electoral Review resulting in all-out Local Government elections there was little opportunity for the Local Authority to publish awareness material in advance because of the short timescale following the meeting of the Pilot Order.

  2.  Altering the election timetable by two days gave sufficient time from Close of Nomination for printing ballot packs and for their distribution to electors.

  3.  The City Council had operated an all-postal pilot at the 2003 Local Government elections and Members were keen to continue and participate in an all-postal pilot this year. Sunderland has a track record in managing elections effectively and the skills resources were available.

  4.  I have not had any allegations of fraud reported to me as Returning Officer nor am I aware of any allegations reported directly to the Police.

PRINTING AND DISSEMINATION

  5.  Sunderland City Council has in-house printing facilities and was able to cope with the all-postal elections as it had done previously.

  6.  There were no ballot papers that required re-printing.

  7.  In our experience the performance of Royal Mail in the region was to the same high standard as at last year's all-postal pilot both in the delivery and return of postal ballots.

  8. (a)  1,271 ballot papers were delivered by hand to student accommodation, houses and multiple occupation and to electors requiring assistance.

    (b)  A total of 5,997 ballot paper envelopes were collected at Assistance and Delivery Points.

  9.  A total of 45 ballot papers were issued to electors who claimed not to have received their original ballot paper.

VOTING PRACTICALITIES AND RETURNS

  10. (a)  There were 3,058 Declarations of Identity returned to electors because they were unsigned. Of that total 1,965 were returned and processed leaving 1,093 outstanding which was 1.27% of returned votes.

      (b)

     There were no problems with the dimensions of the ballot envelopes.

      (c)

     As there were joint Local Government elections in Sunderland the instructions to the electors that they had three votes in one election and one in another were always going to make the voting process more complicated. Anecdotal evidence confirms the voters did have difficulties with the combined election and the requirement to cast a valid vote.

  11. (a)  No ballot papers were received by the authority on Friday 11 June.

      (b)

     In addition to the outstanding unsigned Declarations of Identity 1,088 ballot papers were returned without a declaration (1.26% of the returned votes) and 726 declarations were received without a ballot paper (0.84% of the returned votes).

  12.  All-postal at the European Parliamentary Election increased the turnout from 19% to 40.5%.

  13.  The turnout for the Local Government election in 2003 with one third of the Council to be elected was 46.46% compared with 40.5% for this year's Local Government elections. (This compares to 22.76% turnout in the 2002 (traditional election).

COST AND RESOURCES

  14.  Additional staffing was required to scan returns for Polling Progress Information and for home visits and it is anticipated that these additional costs will be met within the Fees and Charges Order.

  15.  As there are a number of functions that have to be divided between the Fees and Charges Order and the Local Authority it is not possible at this time to give an overall cost of the election.

  16.  Sunderland conducted joint Local Government and European Elections.

  I trust the above is helpful. Please don't hesitate to let us know if you require any further information.

Ged Fitzgerald

Chief Executive & Regional Returning Officer





 
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Prepared 16 September 2004