Election fails to attract voters in droves in city
A SUNNY morning wasn’t enough to draw out crowds of voters in Newcastle, as local elections got off to a slow start.
At polling stations in Jesmond and Sandyford, a slow trickle of voters were visible throughout the morning.
Local elections generally see a lower turnout than national ones; in 2016, only a third of those eligible cast a vote.
Yesterday, polling stations were open in Gateshead, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Sunderland and Newcastle, where for the first time in 14 years every single seat was being contested at once.
But it seemed polling booths were not facing an early-morning rush, with one voter learning he was the 23rd of 200 people registered to vote in person at his Low Fell station.
Jesmond resident Yoav Zeevi, 54, said he regretted such low engagement with local politics. He said: “I’m very passionate about local issues – the environment, education – because they affect our lives far more directly.” Vivek Nityananda, 38, said: “Change at local level can be less easy to see, and local issues don’t get discussed as much. I think people are less likely to think about them and come out to vote.”
Voting in Sandyford, Liam Hutchinson, 30, said he always read up on his local candidates. He said: “Even though nationally you might vote for a particular party, it’s important to research the individual councillors and what they’ll do for your community.”
But for others, their ballots were a chance to send a message to national politicians.
Jesmond student George Severs, 23, said he wasn’t “particularly engaged” with local issues, but saw the vote as an opportunity to register a protest against the national administration.
He said: “I just don’t think that anyone connected to the current, callous Tory government deserves a vote from anyone.”
Anna Contessa, 28, said: “I think there’s a lot of frustration in people at cuts to public services.”
Don’t miss tomorrow’s paper for full results from and analysis of the local elections.