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Trial voting methods to continue
Mar 27 2003
By Paul Dale
High-tech voting methods are to be piloted in south Warwick-shire at the May local council elections.
Stratford-on-Avon District Council hopes to increase turnout by encouraging residents to vote from home via the Internet.
The council is one of 16 local authorities across the country taking part in an experiment funded by the Home Office.
Three years ago Stratford pioneered the use of electronic voting.
This year's elections, on May 1, will again see polling stations equipped with electronic key pads where voters can press a button and select the candidate of their choice. "This will be a paper-free election, apart from postal votes," a council spokesman said. Between 1999 and 2000 the turnout in district council elections in Stratford fell from 49 per cent to 38 per cent.
Last year, with electronic voting taking place, turnout rose to 42 per cent. The council was able to count all of the votes cast and conclude proceedings within two and a half hours, compared to a minimum of 12 hours when traditional voting methods are used.
Internet users expressing an interest in e-voting are being urged to contact the council. They will be given a password and ID number and be able to cast a vote at any time between April 24 and May 1.
A council working party warned of significant additional costs attached to alternative voting methods, with often limited impact on turnout.
Organising voting electronically will cost Stratford £140,000, compared to £50,000 for the usual paper-based method. However, the new system is likely to increase turnout by only two per cent.
The cost of organising all-postal elections would be £102,000 and could increase turnout by 14 per cent.
A council survey of 1,000 residents who did not vote in the 2002 local authority elections produced a variety of explanations.
The main reasons given for notn voting were "being out of the area on election day", "do not support any of the parties", and simply "forgot".
Six out of ten people taking part in the survey claimed there was no point in voting as, whoever was elected, it would make no difference to local taxes and services.
Asked what would make them more likely to take part this year, 53 per cent said being able to vote by post, 41 per cent wanted to vote by telephone and 37 per cent favoured the Internet. * A guide has been produced by Wolverhampton City Council to encourage more people to vote in May.
More than 100,000 households will receive a copy of the booklet when their poll card is delivered. The booklet explains who can vote, what to do at the polling station and gives details of provision for people with disabilities, blind or partially sighted.
