As a result of a Freedom of info request some readers may be interested in the final figures arranged by part ward.
DT1 which is Spooner row, Wattlefield and Suton and, DU1 which is Silfield - Together this is Cromwells ward
Total voters ( this changes constantly) is now roughly 2100 - 3/4 of which live in Silfield and with another 1300 houses arriving in Silfield sometime soon ( purists will tell you 1230 but we have already had another 20 added so by the time built...) this will mean a voting population approx of 4200 in Silfield ( 1600 + 2600) and 550 in SR, S and W. I have serious concerns here that our views here in DT1 will get swamped at that time
Turn out at Silfield was 52%
Turn out at DT1 was 64% ( well done )
Postal voters and returned votes was 79% of those issued
This allows for spoiled votes proportionally - of which there were 42 ( impossible to determine origin)
The result was close and slightly disturbingly the votes cast and counted were in total 1431, although the number of ballot papers issued including postal votes and spoiled was 1438 ...... so from the issue point to the ballot box, 7 went adrift somewhere !!!
However the result was not that close to justify an appeal
In our democratic county each vote counts,we dont expect votes to walk away.This sounds quite serious.Is this the first time our votes have disappeared or is it a regular thing where one party loses out to stolen/mislaid votes.
This sounds like sour grapes to me and the view of a looser. In view of the Party he represents and his overall views on various other matters I am not surprissed he lost.
I still find it amazing that people assume that it was the losing candidate who says the mislaying of votes is serious,my choice of candidate won and I am pleased but feel sorry for peoples votes who were not heard in the local/general elections.
No sour grapes. If ANON who cannot spell, reads this message properly he/she will see that it is a simple factual non political analysis
It was raising two points
How can 7 votes disappear ? However I go on to say that I will not be raising an appeal
The ward which is already heavily influenced by sheer numbers from the population in Silfield will in future have even more population in that sub parish and the residents of Spooner row , Suton and Wattlefield risk having their voices drowned out
I find it astonishing that certain individuals who who are quite clearly politically biased themselves and perhaps see their money making scheme threatened , see every message I put on the message board as some form of canvassing. What I have commented on here is the voting process which applies across the board to ALL parties.
What is disturbing that is that 7 have gone missing and if the result had been closer I would have put in an appeal.
A re run of the election would have been interesting bearing in mind VERY recent events
We don't need a re run on the election, what we need is an explanation of what happened to the 7 votes. 7 votes missing today, how many at the next election? The election boxes are meant to be kept sealed.
Is this the first time voters votes have gone adrift in the elections,I agree a re run should not happen but still I am concerned.Was there a different method of moving the votes or was the same method used at previous elections..............
The difficulty is that once a person has had a ballot paper issued it is assumed, and indeed one of the poll clerks jobs is to ensure that the voter sticks it in the ballot box. Where you get multiple pieces of paper issued, once in the booth the voter might decide to stick in their pocket or tear it up, or as in 42 cases mark it some way to ensure that the vote does not count.
If you have a busy station it is very difficult to ensure voters do as they are supposed to do if you are busy issuing the next paper. There is no change in procedure from past elections and whilst 7 missing is annoying it is not critical in this case.
I was merely interested to see if there was a large mismatch.
