Councillors concerned at safety of May elections across the West
DEVON councillors have expressed concerns about how safe and practical it is for local elections in May to go ahead as planned.
Last Friday, the Government confirmed that the May 6 elections would take place, despite the coronavirus pandemic.
It said that the public health response to Covid-19, not least the vaccination programme, means that it can commit to go ahead with the polls with confidence. Council elections across the South West, plus the election of a Police and Crime Commissioner,
were postponed for a year last May, due to the pandemic.
The Electoral Commission will set out how social distancing and other rules apply specifically to all aspects of the polls, and it will maintain the choice for voters to cast their ballot in person or via a postal vote.
As well as the delayed 2020 local elections in Cornwall, Exeter and Plymouth, and the Police and Crime Commissioner elections, the regularly scheduled 2021 Devon County Council elections will take place, as well as a series of delayed by-elections, and
Neighbourhood Plan referendums, on May 6.
Councillor Alan Connett, leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and County Councillor for Exminster & Haldon, said he believed elections should go ahead, but the ban on delivering election leaflets by candidates made him think twice. He said: “If it is not safe to campaign, then why is it safe to run the elections?”