Agenda item

May 2021 Election Count Update

To consider an update regarding the count process for the May 2021 Elections

Minutes:

The Committee considered a report, set out in agenda pages 16 to 22, which gave details of the preparations for the count related to the elections scheduled to be held in May 2021.

 

The report outlined a variety of proposed changes to the standard format of the elections count timetable, including conducting the Borough and Town and Parish Council counts during the day on Friday 7th May, and conducting the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) count during the day on Monday 10th May. The counts were expected to take place at the usual venue of Loddon Valley Leisure Centre, however there were contingency plans in place should this venue not be available for any reason. The report detailed a number of potential issues and possible solutions relating to Covid-19 (C-19) and social distancing guidelines.

 

Andrew Moulton, Assistant Director – Governance, attended the meeting to answer Member queries.

 

During the ensuing discussions, Members raised the following points and queries:

 

·           Given current circumstances, Members appreciated the work that had already gone into planning for the counts, and found suggestions to be sensible. Given the need for social distancing, was it possible to use a separate hall to split the count and enable more effective social distancing? Officer response – This was being looked at as an option, however at the moment this didn’t appear to be feasible, however this was at an early stage of planning. There would be a lot of communications regarding this, and other elements of the counts, in 2021.

 

·           What time would the Friday count be expected to start? Officer response – A start time had not yet been decided, however the count would need to begin as early as realistically possible. Once a start time had been agreed, this would be communicated.

 

·           In the case of a dispute during the count, how would any disagreements be managed? Officer response – The count would be held in a C-19 secure and safe way, whilst still offering all of the transparency and objectivity that Members and the public expect from Wokingham counts. The only difference may be that the process takes a bit longer this time around.

 

·           If, for example, the Friday count started at 8am, what time would counting finish with a view to re-start on the Saturday? Officer response – Whilst there was no definitive answer with regards to this currently, it was likely that counting would stop during the early evening on Friday 7th May.

 

·           What would the likely cost implications be of running the elections and counts in a C-19 safe manner? Officer response – A definitive cost could not be given at the moment, however it was likely that there would be increased costs associated with the May 2021 elections and count, and this was built in to the planning assumptions. In the past, extra costs incurred by Local Authorities through no fault of their own were reimbursed by the Government.

 

·           Would extra staff be employed at polling stations to ensure the public could vote safely? Officer response – Officers were planning to employ additional staff at specific polling stations in order to ensure the public could vote safely.

 

·           How were smaller polling stations going to be managed? Officer response – A paper was being presented at January Council which would outline a number of suggested venues to replace smaller venues which may not be suitable for the May 2021 elections.

 

·           A particular school had commented that they had been told that there would not be expected to close, was this the case? Officer response – Officers were aware of the particular school in questions, and a call was being organised in with the Head Teacher. It was likely that additional support would be required at the school including additional staff, which could result in the school having to close.

 

·           It was noted that there was an expectancy of higher postal votes, and the Cabinet Office had so far been very clear that they expected the elections scheduled in May 2021 to go ahead.

 

·           Agenda page 20 referred to staggered counts for Borough Wards. Would this mean that observers would get access limited to when their particular Ward was being counted? Officer response – The main concerns were about providing a safe counting environment, and ensuring that the process was transparent. No final decisions had been made, and officers were awaiting advice from the Electoral Commission shortly. An update regarding progress and developments could come back to the Committee in a couple of months’ time.

 

·           It was noted that Members could get in touch directly with the elections team to voice any concerns regarding unsuitable venues, for example if they felt that the entrance and exit situation would be unsuitable. Any Ward Members who may be affected by potential venue changes would be contacted in advance.

 

RESOLVED That:

 

1)     Andrew Moulton be thanked for attending the meeting;

 

2)     Officers be thanked for their work thus far in planning for safe elections and counts to take place;

 

3)     A further update on planning and preparation for the elections and counts return to the Committee in a couple of months’ time.

Supporting documents: