If you wanted to stage an election when hardly anyone would bother to vote November would be a good choice to stage it. With dark nights and dubious weather its just the right time to ensure a minimal turnout. And that’s is exactly what happened.Thus it was, that last Thursday, the voters were asked to vote for the newly created posts of Police and Crime Commissioners and they stayed away in their droves. One polling station had not one single vote cast all day.
Another way to ensure that people wouldn’t vote is to give the electorate as little information as possible. Inform them that the posts are “none political” but then get party members to stand on a party ticket using the resources of their respective political machines whilst giving the independent candidates no help whatsoever.
Now, we have these new Police Commissioners elected without a reasonable mandate from the public they are there to represent but who, seemingly, don’t want them. These posts are both unwanted and unnecessary; and the general public have shown their disdain for them by not bothering to vote. In fact, I know of two members of the electorate who went to their poling station and spoilt their ballot papers by writing across them words to the effect of “not wanted nor needed”
What a complete waste of money. Most people want the same thing, a more visible presence with more policemen on the beat to deter crime and have a chance of catching criminals. One estimate suggested that the money spent would have provided 3,000 more police constables!
ReplyDeleteI wonder whether your observations could apply to General synod elections. Just how representative are they? And yet they wield a great deal of power over all church goers. Sad state of affairs
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