Hernandez on course to retain crime Czar position
CONSERVATIVE Alison Hernandez was on course last night to keep her job as Police and Crime Commissioner for Devon, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly after securing the lion’s share of votes in the first round of Thursday’s vote – but just short of an overall majority.
Counting was still ongoing as the WMN went to press with a ‘discrepancy in the results’ from Cornwall holding up the process.
But the figures showed Ms Hernandez getting 49.97% in the first round, with Labour’s Gareth Derrick also going through. Second preferences were being counted into the evening.
The first round results showed Brian Blake (Lib Dem) on 88,318 Mr Derrick (Labour) on 99,894 Ms Hernandez (Conservatives) on 247,173 and Stuart Jackson (Green) on 59,242
Ballots began to be counted at 9.30am on Monday, but more than eight hours later, results from Cornwall were still outstanding.
At the other 11 counts, results for the first round had been known since 12.30pm, but the Cornish figures were needed before it was known if any one candidate secured 50 per cent of the vote, or if the second round was needed.
Returning officer John Street, at 5.30pm, made an announcement at the Riverside Leisure Centre in Exeter, where the overall results were due to be announced.
He said: “There is a discrepancy in the figures from Cornwall which is sufficient for us to wait to correct that the best that they can before we can go onto anything else.
“So please bear with us, I know it is a long time it is taking, it is out of our control, they are doing the best they can to get that done as quickly as they are aware, and as soon as I get anymore, I will let you know.
Turnout was up on 2016 – 36.7 % compared to 22.1% – although slightly impacted by the fact there were only elections in Exeter and Plymouth taking place at the same time five years ago.
The elections were due to take place in May 2020, but were postponed for a year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, meaning that whoever wins will only serve a three year term to return to the usual electoral cycle. In the 2016 election, Ms Hernandez was elected with 51.1 per cent of the vote in the second round over Derrick’s 48.9 per cent.
The elections are run under a supplementary vote system. Under this system, a voter is asked to indicate his/her first and second choice of candidate, and if no candidate has more than 50 %of first choice votes, the two candidates with the highest number of first choice votes go forward to a second round.
In the second round, residents, whose first choice candidate lost in the first round, have their votes reallocated to their second choice.