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Make sure your vote counts
VOTERS
in Liverpool are being urged to familiarise themselves with the different
voting systems being used in the elections, on Thursday, 5 May 2016. With 3
elections are taking place on the same day; for the Mayor of Liverpool, for
members of the City Council and for the Merseyside Police and Crime Commissioner
(PCC).
With an electorate of 319,000 eligible voters, this could mean approaching a
million ballot papers in circulation in the biggest exercise in local democracy
across the City in recent years. For the Mayoral and PCC elections the
supplementary voting system is used. Voters have 2 votes, 1 for their 1st choice
candidate against whom they place a cross in the 1st column of candidates. If
they wish, they can put a cross in the second column against their 2nd choice
candidate. Voters should take care not to put 2 crosses in the same column as
neither vote will count.
If 1 candidate gets more than 50% of the 1st choice votes, they are elected. If
no candidate gets 50%, the 2 candidates with the most 1st choice votes will
remain in the election and all other candidates are eliminated. The 2nd choice
votes for the eliminated candidates are then counted; and any votes for the two
remaining candidates are added to their 1st round totals and the candidate with
the highest number of votes is elected. For elections to Liverpool City
Council, the traditional 1st past the post system is used, where voters simply
place a cross against their preferred candidate and the candidate who has most
votes is elected.
In 2 wards; Belle Vale and Norris Green; there
are also By-Elections taking place so voters in these wards have 2 votes and can
put crosses against 2 candidates. Liverpool's Returning Officer, Ged Fitzgerald,
said:- "I would urge all voters to take the time to read the information
which has been sent to all eligible voters so they can familiarise themselves
with the different voting systems. We're trying to avoid anyone inadvertently
spoiling their ballot paper because they misunderstand the system being used. It
sounds more complicated than it actually is, but we're encouraging people to
take a few minutes to read the attached information before putting pen to
paper."
Voters who use postal votes are being asked to return them as soon as possible
before 5 May 2016.
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