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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Oct 28, 2024 15:16:34 GMT
I note and share strongly Tony Otim's frustration at councils failing to post their SOPNs promptly. The baseline problem is that electoral law predates the internet and the only statutory requirement is to post a notice in the town hall window. Our friends listed above could fail altogether to post the SOPNs and other Notices online and revert to the excuse that it was available in the window. This excuse was frequent in the first decade of the internet, particularly in some authorities where the elections officers were unconfident about posting web content. Nearly every Notice now reaches the internet eventually, although some elections officers still work with their IT department, which sometimes does not have the same sense of urgency and deadlines. P.S. We are still missing one Notice of Poll (Bilston North) for this week's elections. Quite frankly the whole of elections law needs a complete overhaul: 1. Nomination Papers need a wholesale redesign - including the ability to submit electronically 2. There needs to be a central (Electoral Commission?) web-based repository for the publication of vacancies/SOPNs/other notices and election results for all primary and parish authorities 3. The franchise is becoming ridiculous (16 year olds, residents v Commonwealth v Pre-Brexit EU), and which polls are combinable is hard to understand. Let's not even start on the difficulties of the Scottish v RUK election calendars Not sure when any government will get round to more than sticking plasters, as devolution has complicated matters to the point that unless the same party is in power in Westminster, Wales and Scotland I can't see how anything would be agreed. For the most part, it's the kind of tinkering considered too boring or arcane to bother with. No Secretary of State wants their crowning glory to be the Election Adminstration (Timetable) Act. |
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Post by timrollpickering on Oct 28, 2024 15:31:29 GMT
Quite frankly the whole of elections law needs a complete overhaul: 1. Nomination Papers need a wholesale redesign - including the ability to submit electronically 2. There needs to be a central (Electoral Commission?) web-based repository for the publication of vacancies/SOPNs/other notices and election results for all primary and parish authorities 3. The franchise is becoming ridiculous (16 year olds, residents v Commonwealth v Pre-Brexit EU), and which polls are combinable is hard to understand. Let's not even start on the difficulties of the Scottish v RUK election calendars Not sure when any government will get round to more than sticking plasters, as devolution has complicated matters to the point that unless the same party is in power in Westminster, Wales and Scotland I can't see how anything would be agreed. On 2), unless the EC is given any actual role in the process then what would this actually achieve? We've discussed requiring them to compile a list of elections in the past but given that a lot of the elections community is often copying each other (seriously there have been times when the EC and the AEA have tweeted about polls and missed by-elections - seemingly because they've been getting their list from this very forum) then all this would likely result in are potential challenges to results on the basis that people nowhere near the authority didn't update a list in time. Agree on 3) and 1) in part. The nomination pack is absurdly long - the council one for England currently runs to 17 pages including four sheets that don't need to be printed, at least five others that are purely information but do whilst there's no rational reason why you need separate forms for the authorisation and emblem or why the delegated nominating officer handles the former but the candidate the latter. Or why are the witness's details spread across two separate, not even adjacent, pages?! However I'd be wary of electronic submission even though getting a mutually agreeable time is not always easy. There is much to be said for the ease of mind of having personal confirmation of acceptance but also some problems with polling day arrangements have come up because of limited contact between election services and the agents & candidates running the campaigns. Not everybody comes to the briefing meetings (increasingly held online) and briefing documents aren't always read. It helps if there's a direct, in person contact required in the system. |
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yorkshireluke
Lib Dem
I run @polmapsinfoUK, @YorkshireElects and /r/PoliticalMaps/
Posts: 776 
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Post by yorkshireluke on Oct 28, 2024 22:49:59 GMT
Just seen this, is a good guy and should be an easy Lib Dem Hold. |
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pl
Non-Aligned
Posts: 1,672
Member is Online
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Post by pl on Oct 28, 2024 23:03:01 GMT
Quite frankly the whole of elections law needs a complete overhaul: 1. Nomination Papers need a wholesale redesign - including the ability to submit electronically 2. There needs to be a central (Electoral Commission?) web-based repository for the publication of vacancies/SOPNs/other notices and election results for all primary and parish authorities 3. The franchise is becoming ridiculous (16 year olds, residents v Commonwealth v Pre-Brexit EU), and which polls are combinable is hard to understand. Let's not even start on the difficulties of the Scottish v RUK election calendars Not sure when any government will get round to more than sticking plasters, as devolution has complicated matters to the point that unless the same party is in power in Westminster, Wales and Scotland I can't see how anything would be agreed. For the most part, it's the kind of tinkering considered too boring or arcane to bother with. No Secretary of State wants their crowning glory to be the Election Adminstration (Timetable) Act. Frankly it's probably a case where it needs the Law Commission to have another go at the creation of a consolidated bill across the administration of elections and electoral offences. The fragmentation of electoral law between jurisdictions is a significant and growing issue. Resolving it would be messy - potentially too messy. |
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Post by Davıd Boothroyd on Oct 28, 2024 23:16:50 GMT
Stirling council, Bannockburn ward, after the death of Labour councillor Margaret Brisley.
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Post by andrewp on Oct 28, 2024 23:30:58 GMT
Stirling council, Bannockburn ward, after the death of Labour councillor Margaret Brisley. She had only become Leader of the council on September 12th. |
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Post by listener on Oct 28, 2024 23:54:20 GMT
November heralds no less than 15 by-elections in Scotland.
This compares with 15 in the whole of the 2016-17 municipal year, 13 in 2017-18, 6 in 2018-19, 5 in 2019-20, 19 in 2020-21, 9 in 2021-22, 9 in 2022-23 and 12 in 2023-24.
By-elections were suspended in England due to the covid lockdown for the whole municipal year 2020-21, but were suspended in Scotland for a much shorter period within 2020-21 and caught up in March 2021.
With 18 by-elections already held in Scotland since 9 May and 3 more set for December and January, this brings the total number of by-elections for the current municipal year so far to 36, with a further vacancy (sadly) just reported above.
Alan Faulds of Ballot Box Scotland must be going into overdrive.
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Post by uthacalthing on Oct 29, 2024 0:07:09 GMT
For the most part, it's the kind of tinkering considered too boring or arcane to bother with. No Secretary of State wants their crowning glory to be the Election Adminstration (Timetable) Act. I would give your left arm for that gig But when my white paper was published you would would give your right arm to have it struck down 1/ to be entered on the electoral register you need to present yourself and photo proof of ID at the local Council HQ. And pay an admin fee of £3. Democracy is not free. Until you can get that through your head it is worthless 2/ The right to vote is restricted to His (or Her) Majesties subjects who were born in the UK. If you were a British diplomat stationed overseas you ought to have thought about that on behalf of your child. So don't even waste my time on behalf of those who are "naturalised". Their kids will be allowed to vote 3/ it comes into effect when you are 18. But if an amendment for 21 has support, I May give way. 4/if you fail to vote in three consecutive elections, your right to vote lapses until you present yourself and your photo ID again at the Council HQ with your £3 fee. |
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Adam
Non-Aligned
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Post by Adam on Oct 29, 2024 18:44:44 GMT
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Post by carolus on Oct 30, 2024 14:11:28 GMT
I think this sort of webpage approach (rather than a stand-alone document) is reasonably common, and it seems to contain the standard information in more or less the standard format. |
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Post by andrewteale on Oct 30, 2024 15:00:39 GMT
The returning officer could write the whole thing in verse and it would be valid if it had the prescribed information. |
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Tony Otim
Green
Suffering from Brexistential Despair
Posts: 11,906
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Post by Tony Otim on Oct 30, 2024 15:19:59 GMT
The returning officer could write the whole thing in verse and it would be valid if it had the prescribed information. I'd actually quite like to see a returning officer doing that... |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2024 15:37:25 GMT
I think this sort of webpage approach (rather than a stand-alone document) is reasonably common, and it seems to contain the standard information in more or less the standard format. There's usually an associated PDF used. Certainly that's what happened with Hillrise. Hackney uses a similar process, IIRC. Interesting by-election looming to be sure. |
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Post by timrollpickering on Oct 30, 2024 15:51:23 GMT
The returning officer could write the whole thing in verse and it would be valid if it had the prescribed information. I'd actually quite like to see a returning officer doing that... Would it be as awkward as this? tfwiki.net/wiki/Wheelie_(G1) |
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Tony Otim
Green
Suffering from Brexistential Despair
Posts: 11,906
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Post by Tony Otim on Oct 30, 2024 16:38:09 GMT
Ooh, much worse I'd imagine, but would still be fun to see someone try... |
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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Oct 30, 2024 16:50:05 GMT
The returning officer could write the whole thing in verse and it would be valid if it had the prescribed information. I'd actually quite like to see a returning officer doing that... "There's a by-election happening in Moreton North And here's all the notices proper as a matter of course We've got a polling day in a month's time With five candidates all in a line And two polling stations so you're not in the lurch One in the town hall Another in a church You got to bring ID and mark with a cross, see; Only do it once unless you're a proxy. Here are the agents who do all the behind the scenes And I'll sign off now with my i's and t's " |
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Post by timrollpickering on Oct 30, 2024 17:46:29 GMT
I'd actually quite like to see a returning officer doing that... "There's a by-election happening in Moreton North And here's all the notices proper as a matter of course We've got a polling day in a month's time With five candidates all in a line And two polling stations so you're not in the lurch One in the town hall Another in a church You got to bring ID and mark with a cross, see; Only do it once unless you're a proxy. Here are the agents who do all the behind the scenes And I'll sign off now with my i's and t's " For once doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️'s output was fine Managing to discover a suitable rhyme With which to end a line each successive time That is, but, until his effort lost some of its shine Whenupon he came to the end of the very last line. |
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Post by doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ on Oct 30, 2024 18:09:15 GMT
"There's a by-election happening in Moreton North And here's all the notices proper as a matter of course We've got a polling day in a month's time With five candidates all in a line And two polling stations so you're not in the lurch One in the town hall Another in a church You got to bring ID and mark with a cross, see; Only do it once unless you're a proxy. Here are the agents who do all the behind the scenes And I'll sign off now with my i's and t's " For once doktorb🏳️🌈🏳️⚧️ 's output was fine Managing to discover a suitable rhyme With which to end a line each successive time That is, but, until his effort lost some of its shine Whenupon he came to the end of the very last line. It began as poetic rhyme in my head Until a more urban scheme came along instead But the rap scene is not one with which I'm aware Though it's obvious that the rhythm is bare I'm going to draw down the curtain on this particular meme For other posters may be less keen. |
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on Oct 30, 2024 18:29:05 GMT
There was a by-election in Junction
which caused the forum great ruction
it could be won by a Green
which makes me very keen
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Post by uthacalthing on Oct 30, 2024 18:56:53 GMT
The returning officer could write the whole thing in verse and it would be valid if it had the prescribed information. That should be mandatory |
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