More votes than ballot papers issued

[swindonlad]

In the Highworth Town council election (counted by Swindon BC) 10 candidates got more votes than ballot papers issued, and it wasn't close

There were 2,457 papers issued (net of spoilt papers), the 10 candidates got over 3,000 votes, the highest was Alan Bishop with 3,394, that's more than a 1/3rd over the votes cast

How can the RO not resign her post after this?
How did no one not notice this?

She's issued a statement but it's not convincing & there's a fundraising appeal in Highworth for a challenge

Link to the result, you'll have to scroll to the bottom
www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20073/elections_and_voting/769/election_results/2

[Andrew_S]

May 12, 2019 3:05:16 GMT swindonlad said:

In the Highworth Town council election (counted by Swindon BC) 10 candidates got more votes than ballot papers issued, and it wasn't close

There were 2,457 papers issued (net of spoilt papers), the 10 candidates got over 3,000 votes, the highest was Alan Bishop with 3,394, that's more than a 1/3rd over the votes cast

How can the RO not resign her post after this?
How did no one not notice this?

She's issued a statement but it's not convincing & there's a fundraising appeal in Highworth for a challenge

Link to the result, you'll have to scroll to the bottom
www.swindon.gov.uk/info/20073/elections_and_voting/769/election_results/2

That looks like a monumental cock-up. There's usually one somewhere each year. Unless they transcribed the figures wrongly

[johnhemming]

May 12, 2019 3:05:16 GMT swindonlad said:

She's issued a statement but it's not convincing & there's a fundraising appeal in Highworth for a challenge

In what way would you say the statement is "not convincing".

susie kemp said:

It is very clear that there has been an error in the numbers given in the declaration of the election for Highworth Parish Council.

The votes allocated to some candidates are incorrect. I cannot be certain that this has had an impact on the candidates elected as I am unable in law to recount the ballot papers once I have declared the results of the election.

I cannot take legal proceedings in respect of the election. Only those within section 128 of the Representation of the People Act 1983 can bring a petition. These are 4 or more who voted or who had a right to vote or someone who was a candidate. I cannot and will not give legal advice but I draw attention to the fact that a petition has to be presented within 21 days after the day on which the election was held. That takes us to Friday, 24 May but I suspect a legal adviser would suggest that one should present earlier than that.

As it stands, those who were declared in the early hours of Friday, 3 May are elected and therefore able to take their seats on Highworth Parish Council.

She admits there is an error.

I have drafted election petitions in the past. (Including the one for Aston in Birmingham)

Where she may be legally wrong is that I think another route is to make an application to the court for a recount. I have not done one of these, but my understanding is that this is possible and a lot easier than doing a petition.

Looking at the result, however, it is not clear that it will impact who gets elected that much.

It is likely to be possible, however, that the local authority could make an application to the court for a recount. I would not say this is definitely possible, however. It is what I would investigate.

[yellowperil]

One assumes this is cock up rather than fraud, but nobody is referring to the elephant in the room, which is that the candidates getting more votes than there were voters available are all from what passes as the party of government. Just imagine what assumptions would be made if this was some election in the developing world somewhere.....

[ColinJ]

If the Tory block vote were counted separately that is probably where the error has occurred, i.e. when the block vote totals and the tally sheet totals were married.