Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Ballot Box blues
Anybody who has ever fought an election in Bridgend or had dealings with the Electoral Registration Office prior to 2004 will not be surprised at the outcome of this report into electoral irregularities there. It is not that they were unhelpful or inefficient, on the contrary they were always polite, courteous and returned calls straight away. It is just that one always had the feeling that they were not quite on top of things. I am pleased to say that this has now changed.
My first experience of Bridgend was in the 1997 General Election when I was Kirsty William's election agent in Ogmore. I went to a meeting of agents with the returning officer where we were asked to allow some latitude in the counting of votes. Would we agree to a small margin of error if all the votes did not tally at the end of counting?
Now, I know that it has been traditional that Labour votes have been weighed, not counted, in Ogmore constituency but this was ridiculous. I objected strongly and have been extra vigilant at counts there ever since.
Update: This post has prompted a number of e-mails relating similar stories. This one is an edited summary from a candidate in one of the two Bridgend constituencies in the 1999 Assembly elections.
"In the 1999 Assembly elections, it was clear at the count that the Returning Officer didn't have a full grip of proceedings. He was trying to run the two counts (Bridgend and Ogmore) in the same building, plus, of course, there were two ballot papers being used for the first time (constituency and list). The count for the local elections was also taking place.
As the papers stacked up towards the end of the count, the officials were asked a couple of times why there was a rather large separate pile near the various piles for the candidates, and gave a mumbled response about something to do with spoiled papers. But there were far too many there for spoiled papers, even taking into account that some voters may not have known how to use the list ballot paper.
In the end, it was sort of glossed over, with the RO looking very flustered, brushing away questions, rushing between the two counts, and going into huddles with other officials. For quite a while, after the count had finished, no one knew what was going on, and it looked as if they couldn't get returns to tally.
There was no issue about the actual result, but the process was far from satisfactory, and the lack of transparency in terms of the RO letting people know what was going on."
My first experience of Bridgend was in the 1997 General Election when I was Kirsty William's election agent in Ogmore. I went to a meeting of agents with the returning officer where we were asked to allow some latitude in the counting of votes. Would we agree to a small margin of error if all the votes did not tally at the end of counting?
Now, I know that it has been traditional that Labour votes have been weighed, not counted, in Ogmore constituency but this was ridiculous. I objected strongly and have been extra vigilant at counts there ever since.
Update: This post has prompted a number of e-mails relating similar stories. This one is an edited summary from a candidate in one of the two Bridgend constituencies in the 1999 Assembly elections.
"In the 1999 Assembly elections, it was clear at the count that the Returning Officer didn't have a full grip of proceedings. He was trying to run the two counts (Bridgend and Ogmore) in the same building, plus, of course, there were two ballot papers being used for the first time (constituency and list). The count for the local elections was also taking place.
As the papers stacked up towards the end of the count, the officials were asked a couple of times why there was a rather large separate pile near the various piles for the candidates, and gave a mumbled response about something to do with spoiled papers. But there were far too many there for spoiled papers, even taking into account that some voters may not have known how to use the list ballot paper.
In the end, it was sort of glossed over, with the RO looking very flustered, brushing away questions, rushing between the two counts, and going into huddles with other officials. For quite a while, after the count had finished, no one knew what was going on, and it looked as if they couldn't get returns to tally.
There was no issue about the actual result, but the process was far from satisfactory, and the lack of transparency in terms of the RO letting people know what was going on."
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Peter considering that Bridgend (West Lothian) is part of the ward I'll be fighting next May I'll look out for this. However, our Returning Officer and his staff are very compotent and I'm sure they'd be on top of it. ;-)
When i first saw the headline early this morning my first thought was that nothing that happened in Blaenau Gwent could possibly suprise me any more ...
As Peter says Bridgend has long been notorious amoung agents and organisers across all parties. In the Ogmore by-election all parties, but especially Labour were deploying some of their top people - who rapidly learnt to carry copies of the RPA along with them to meetings with the RO - who seemed bemused by the idea that anyone would have the temerity to question his rulings!
I have been very sceptical about the Electoral Commission in the past and still am, but it does appear they may be of some use after all!
As Peter says Bridgend has long been notorious amoung agents and organisers across all parties. In the Ogmore by-election all parties, but especially Labour were deploying some of their top people - who rapidly learnt to carry copies of the RPA along with them to meetings with the RO - who seemed bemused by the idea that anyone would have the temerity to question his rulings!
I have been very sceptical about the Electoral Commission in the past and still am, but it does appear they may be of some use after all!
It is annoying that the media reports emphasise that Bridgend is led by Liberal Democrats, and use interviews with Labour and Plaid Cymru representatives. They gloss over the fact that the shortcomings were in evidence while Labour was in charge. The election office staff must have been appointed by a Labour administration.
LibDems are not claiming credit for initiating the investigation, but one wonders whether the whistle-blower within the ERO would have felt able to raise his or her head above the parapet while Labour was in charge in Bridgend (Pen-y-Bont ar Ogwr, to be precise, for Stephen Glenn's sake ;-)).
Incidentally, has former Labour leader Jeff Jones, generally so loquacious, been invited to comment?
LibDems are not claiming credit for initiating the investigation, but one wonders whether the whistle-blower within the ERO would have felt able to raise his or her head above the parapet while Labour was in charge in Bridgend (Pen-y-Bont ar Ogwr, to be precise, for Stephen Glenn's sake ;-)).
Incidentally, has former Labour leader Jeff Jones, generally so loquacious, been invited to comment?
Indeed all of these problems took place on Labour's watch and it took the new administration to sort it out.
I have rejected a comment by 'Grim Reaper' because it contained a libellous and untrue comment about the former BCBC Chief Executive. The report into electoral arrangements is quite clear. There is an allegation of unauthorised payments to Electoral Services staff but Keri Lewis is exonorated of any wrong-doing. His sole incvolvement is in respect of the degree of supervision he exercised over the staff concerned.
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