EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTION Agents and Parties Briefing

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EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT ELECTIONAgents and
Parties Briefing
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Elections Team

• Regional Returning Officer Stephen Hughes
• (Birmingham City Council)
• Local Returning Officer Steve Wellings
• Deputy Local Returning Officer Ken Clarke
• Deputy Local Returning Officer Jonathan Eatough
• Democratic Services Manager Phil Griffiths
• Electoral Services Manager Melvin Humphreys

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European Parliament Election Purpose of our
briefing

• To give you as much information on local
  arrangements as we can at this time
• To introduce other guidance that is available to
  you

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The Election Stakeholders

• The Voters absent and polling station
• The Parties and their Candidates the Regional
  and Local Agents
• The Regional Returning Officers Office
• The Local Returning Officer and his staff
• The Electoral Commission, the Police and the
  Courts

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The Election an overview

• UK divided into 12 electoral regions electing a
  total of 72 MEPs
• West Midlands Region elects 6 MEPs
• Regional Returning Officer responsible for
  nominations and the allocation of seats
• Local Returning Officer responsible for polling,
  postal voting and local counts
• Proportional representation and the DHondt system

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Electoral Timetable Overview
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Electoral Timetable Polling through to Count
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Guidance to Parties and Agents

• Guidance from the Electoral Commission
  (www.electoralcommission.gov.uk) and the
  Ministry of Justice (www.moj.gov.uk)
• Code of Conduct on Handling Postal Votes (in
  above Guidance Appendix D)
• Use of Council Facilities
• Posters and fly posting

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Polling Stations

• Lists now circulated
• 70 stations at 68 different venues
• Small reduction in stations reflects removal of
  double stations in response to the large number
  of people now voting by post
• Polling agents

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Tellers

• Guidance issued by the Electoral Commission
• Tellers have no legal status and voters have
  the right to refuse to give them any information
• Tellers may approach voters as the enter/leave
  the polling station
• No admittance into polling station (unless voting
  themselves)
• Do not block the entrance to the polling station
  this can put off voters/ harassment

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Postal Voting

• Approximately 38,000 voters now registered to
  vote by post.
• This presents a considerable logistical
  challenge.

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Postal Voting

• Issuing from our Printer
• Friday 22 May or Tuesday 26 May
• Opening at Civic Offices
• from Wednesday 27 May
• (and finally at the Verification)
• Security Arrangements
• proper appointment
• of agents

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The Verification

• At Civic Offices on Friday, 5 June 9-30 am start
• Final postal vote opening
• Mobile phones and cameras the secrecy rules
• Parking
• Count agents (notify us by Thursday 28 May)
• Attendance list

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The Count

• At Telford College of Arts and Technology (TCAT)
• 7.00 pm start
• Parking
• Count agents (notify us by Thursday 28 May)
• LRO may invite limited number of guests
• Security passes

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Security and Liaison with Police

• Election Offences
• Discussions liaison with the Police
• Policing on Polling Day
• Controlled Entry to the Count

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What else can we give you?

• Properly appointed Local Agents
• Our Parties and Agents Pack
• Statistics of electors and postal voters
• The Electoral Register
• Absent Voters Lists
• Marked Registers after the election

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Role of the Local Returning OfficerThe
Groundsman not the Referee

• The quasi-judicial role postal voting
  statements, good and bad ballot papers at the
  count
• Otherwise, a limited role to run the poll and
  the local count
• Election offences EC summary
• At the polling station undue influence
• Seeking redress

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• Any Questions?