Waverley Borough Council Committee System - Committee Document
Meeting of the Executive held on 04/02/2003
APPENDIX J - BOROUGH AND TOWN/PARISH ELECTIONS – COUNTING
PROCEDURE– FARNHAM AND GODALMING COUNT CENTRES
The purpose of this report is to review the counting procedure for the combined Borough, Town and Parish elections on 1st May 2003 and to propose that some of the counts be carried out on the morning after the poll, i.e. on Friday, 2nd May.
APPENDIX J
WAVERLEY BOROUGH COUNCIL
EXECUTIVE - 4TH FEBRUARY 2003
Title
:
BOROUGH AND TOWN/PARISH ELECTIONS – COUNTING
PROCEDURE– FARNHAM AND GODALMING COUNT CENTRES
[Wards Affected: All Farnham and Godalming Wards]
Summary and Purpose
The purpose of this report is to review the counting procedure for the combined Borough, Town and Parish elections on 1st May 2003 and to propose that some of the counts be carried out on the morning after the poll, i.e. on Friday, 2nd May.
The resource implications are referred to in the report. There are no environmental, “Opportunities for All” or Human Rights implications.
Background
1. Executive members will recall that this report was referred to the Corporate and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee for its observations, and at the same time the views of the Town Councils on reviewing the count procedure were sought. The Corporate and Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee considered the report at its meeting on 20th January 2003 and its comments, along with those of the Town Councils are set out below.
2. It is proposed that the counts for the Town Council elections for Godalming and Farnham should be held the following morning, Friday, 2nd May in their respective towns. The recruitment of counting staff can be made from existing Waverley staff and the Returning Officer and senior election staff will have a short break after the Borough wards count the night before.
3. Friday counting has been used for the Surrey County Council elections during the joint Parliamentary/County Council elections that occurred in 1997 and 2001. In both cases the Surrey County Council count was carried out the morning after the poll and completed expeditiously, with a far higher level of satisfaction from candidates and agents.
Resource Implications
4. As previously reported, where there are joint Borough and Town ward elections, the costs are shared equally between authorities. This also applies to the counting procedure. However, if as suggested the counting for the Town Council wards were held the following morning, the only additional cost would be for the extra time needed for the venue. Waverley would meet the cost for the count on election day and the Town Councils would be charged for the following morning. These extra costs would be approximately £600 for Farnham Town Council and £300 each for Godalming and Haslemere Town Councils.
5. There are unlikely to be any additional costs for counting staff as the hours worked and paid for would be similar if the count was being held following the Borough wards count early on the Friday morning. They may even be reduced, as the staff would be “fresh” to the task and complete it more quickly.
Observations
6. The Leisure Overview and Scrutiny Committee, which met on 20th January 2003, accepted the proposals in the report but wished to emphasise to the Executive that it was with regret.
7. Godalming, Farnham and Haslemere Town Councils have been consulted on the proposals and raise no objection to the counting process for their Town Councils being held on Friday, 2nd May.
Conclusion
8. The primary duty of the Returning Officer is to ensure accuracy throughout the whole counting procedure. Therefore, the pace of the counting and administrative processing of the ballot papers is set to enable the candidates, their political and counting agents to monitor and oversee all stages of the count procedure.
9. Therefore, to meet the main issues raised as a result of the Best Value Fundamental Review, including those problems also experienced by election staff, and to implement initiatives to improve best practice, it is suggested a Friday morning count for the Town Council elections should be adopted.
Recommendation
It is recommended that the counting of the Town Council elections should take place on Friday, 2nd May 2003 at 10.00 a.m.
Background Papers
(CEx)
There are no background papers (as defined by Section 100D(5) of the Local Government Act 1972) relating to this report.
CONTACT OFFICERS
:
Name:
Jean Radley
Telephone:
01483 523400
E-mail:
jradley@waverley.gov.uk
Name:
Robin Pellow
Telephone:
01483 523222
E-mail:
rpellow@waverley.gov.uk
comms/exec/2002-03/499