Only 15.63% voter countrywide turnout for the police and crime commissioner elections

This article was last updated on April 16, 2022

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Turnout for the police and crime commissioner elections look likely to be the “worst turnout for any nationwide set of elections ever” as only one in six voters in England and Wales bothered to cast vote, with unconfirmed reports claiming not a single person turnout at some polling stations in Coventry and Gwent .

The Electoral Reform Society estimated the countywide turnout to be 15.63 percent, which would be below the previous record low in a national poll in peacetime of 23 per cent in the 1999 European elections. In the West Midlands, the largest contest, the turnout was 12.3 percent. In Greater Manchester it was around 13 percent, in Cleveland 15 per cent and in Avon and Somerset 19 per cent.

In Humberside – where the battle should have been enlivened by the candidacy of former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott – it was believed to be less than 20 percent.

Elections are being held in 41 police areas outside London to elect the new commissioners, who are expected to earn up to £100,000 a year, will control police budgets, set priorities and have the power to hire and fire Chief Constables.

The county’s returning officer, Stephen Taylor explained the reason for low turnout for the PCC poll in Wiltshire and said: “It is a new system and people have emailed and contacted us saying that they didn’t know enough about the candidates in order to be able to make a choice. Obviously, that’s something which I have got no control over.”

The shadow Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper has said: “We warned the Government repeatedly that they had the wrong approach and that turnout would be low. Theresa May and David Cameron didn’t listen and it is shocking that they have spent £100 million on these elections rather than on 3,000 police constables instead.

“Time and again on the doorstep people told us either they didn’t have enough information, didn’t know the elections were happening, didn’t support them or didn’t want to go out in the dark to vote.”

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