Concern grows over counting votes in general election

Oct 28 2009 by William Green, The Journal

BRITAIN faces a "dreadful" wait to see who forms the next Government as 400,000 votes will not be counted on general election night.

Counts in seven Parliamentary constituencies in Newcastle and Northumberland will not begin until the day after the election, which must be held by next June.

A further three areas will remain undecided when counts will begin, including South Shields where Foreign Secretary David Miliband is currently MP.

The Electoral Commission has just released the information – although local officials have not provided details of counts in other local seats that have around 60,000 voters each.

The news has sparked warnings that the country may not find out its next Government until the day after the general election, which must be held on a Thursday.

Nationally, 27 constituencies will not hold counts until the day after and decisions in more than 80 seats have not yet been made.

Conservative party chairman Eric Pickles said: “I think it is a dreadful thing.

“The amount of money that might be saved is miniscule and I think this is all about putting politics in its place.

“It is all about the convenience of some highly-paid returning officers. I am not impressed and neither is the British public.

“If chief officers aren’t able to organise a count on a Thursday evening, they should be wondering whether are good enough to do the job. It could indeed mean that we are without a Government for a day, but the main point is that the British public decide.

“We have always had a count on a Thursday and people like to know whether the Government is there or not.”