EmailAt the end of last year the Electoral Commission produced figures suggesting that at least 100 constituencies are likely to abandon the traditional Thursday night election count and instead start totting up the votes on Friday morning.
Today Jonathan Isaby's campaign to save Thursday night counting has hit a fresh setback. Jenny Watson, chair of the Electoral Commission, has told returning officers that counting on Friday would be "entirely appropriate".
Watson was speaking at the annual conference of the Association of Electoral Administrators at Blackpool. I wasn't there, but the Press Association are reporting her comments.
We all enjoy the excitement – or hard work – of election night, but returning officers have a responsibility to make sure the results are accurate and accepted ... The most important thing is that the count is accurate and that voters have confidence in the election result ... It is entirely appropriate for returning officers to decide to hold the count the next day – if they are clear that this is necessary to ensure an accurate result.
But she also had a warning for returning officers who do decide to count on the Friday.
There may not be a lot of sympathy for a count that declares the next day and doesn't appear to be run efficiently.
Comments
1 February 2010 5:56PM
Spice it up a bit, this is an opportunity to introduce efficiency, generate revenue and capitalise on public interest. Privatise the count and get Sky in, video referees, competing returning officers, action replays, countcam, there'd be no Friday counts I assure you.
The contenders should also jog onto the stage to their own theme music, like Rocky, or Jerusalem. The returning office should be in a dinner jacket with a microphone descending from the ceiling. "And STILL the Member of Parliament for Ellesemere Port and Neston..."
1 February 2010 9:17PM
Voting boxes lying out of sight of the general public for several hours - sort of thing they do in dodgy dictatorships. Doesn't give me any confidence.
1 February 2010 11:23PM
In Europe they vote on Sunday and close the polls at 9pm, which is much more civilised.
1 February 2010 11:41PM
In Europe they vote on Sunday and close the polls at 9pm, which is much more civilised.
2 February 2010 5:47PM
Who is this scumbag to tell me I have to wait for the result of the vote to be counted?
Let me guess, she's a NuLieBore appointee ready and eager to leave the ballot boxes alone to look after themselves for a few hours. Nice. Very banana republic.
However, she's also a civil servant, she may have forgotten this but I pay her to do my bidding.
What I want her to do is to get off her fat, overpaid arse and kick in the nuts any council who thinks they can hang around until the following day before they feel they can be bothered to count the votes.