Covid-safe voting as West goes to polls in a pandemic
POLLING stations open across the Westcountry this morning for what are likely to be very different elections, thanks to continuing restrictions imposed by the pandemic.
In parts of the region, voters could be asked to make up to three choices, for their county or unitary authority councillor, a parish or town councillor, and the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner.
But with Covid-19 restrictions still in place, visiting a polling station could be a little different this year and councils have provided details on what to expect.
Voters are asked to take their own pen or pencil to cast their votes. In normal times, pencils are provided but to prevent spreading Covid-19 the Government has said that all voters must take their own, although some polling stations will keep ‘clean’ pencils for those who forget.
Queues may form, with voters waiting in line asked to stay two metres apart, in line with social distancing requirements. Voters at the front of the queue must wait until they are called, before entering the polling station.
Inside, everyone must wear a face covering and use the hand sanitiser provided. One-way systems will be in place – follow the one-way system within the polling station. It is not a requirement to take a polling card , but it does make it easier for staff to find voters on the list.
Once given the ballot papers, voters will be directed to which booth to use to cast their vote before placing papers in the ballot box.
For those people who feel unwell and fear they are developing Covid19, they must stay at home. Voters can apply for an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm on polling day via council websites.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm, with votes to be verified overnight and counting starting tomorrow morning. Results will be declared throughout the day tomorrow.
Votes in parish and town council elections are due to be counted on Saturday, and votes in the PCC elections will be counted on Monday. The final results from Devon and Cornwall will be declared in Exeter.
In Cornwall, the reduction in the number of councillors, down from 123 to 87, will see a significant number of sitting councillors fighting it out for a seat.
In the new Altarnun & Stoke Climsland division, Liberal Democrat Adrian Parsons is up against Neil Burden (Independent). The other candidate in that ward is Joseph Terris (Green).
In Penzance East, Council Cabinet member Tim Dwelly (Ind) is up against fellow councillor Cornelius Olivier (Lab) alongside Roger Driscoll (Ind), Jonathan How (Green), Zach Lawlor (LD) and Megan McClary (Con).
Across the Tamar in Devon, where the whole of the county council is up for re-election, the authority is urging people to ensure they use their vote.
Amid fears of a low turn-out made worse by concerns about coronavirus and the fact that campaigning has been severely curtailed, Devon County Council is reminding voters of the importance of having their say.
“You will be voting for someone who can help Devon County Council make decisions on key services including education, roads, social care for vulnerable adults and children as well as the local environment and Devon’s countryside,” the local authority’s website says.
Elections are also taking place in Plymouth and Exeter, with by-elections in Torbay and some other councils, making polling day today one of the biggest local political tests for several years.
National party leaders were carrying out final campaigning visits yesterday and attempting to manage expectations while remaining upbeat. Asked what success would look like for the Conservative Party in the local elections, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “It’s a very tough set of elections. I think when we stood last time for many of these council seats, we were at a particularly high watermark, and we’ll be fighting for absolutely every vote.
“I would urge everybody in the country: Get out and vote tomorrow, these are a very important set of elections.
Sir Keir Starmer said he did not expect Labour to recover from its 2019 general election result in only a year. “Whatever the results are, I will take responsibility, as I take responsibility for everything in the Labour Party,” he said. In addition to local polls, Labour are defending Hartlepool in a parliamentary by-election, with polls suggesting a Tory win.