Birmingham City Council could delay general election count

Dec 10 2009 by Paul Dale, Birmingham Mail

BIRMINGHAM could break with tradition by counting next year’s General Election results on the Friday morning, the day after votes are cast.

City council chief executive Stephen Hughes fears the volume of work for staff running the count will be too great if, as expected, the Government goes to the country on May 6, the same day as the local council elections.

Although Mr Hughes, the returning officer, is yet to make a final decision, the prospect of delaying counting the General Election votes until the Friday is proving highly controversial and contradicts a promise given by deputy council leader Paul Tilsley.

Asked in September about Birmingham’s intentions, Coun Tilsley (Lib Dem, Sheldon) pledged to continue the “proud tradition” of Thursday night counts.

His commitment followed a national Conservative Party campaign putting pressure on council chief executives to maintain same night election counts.

Mr Hughes’s stance has annoyed council leaders who fear a next day count will destroy the drama of General Election night.

When general and local elections have been held on the same day in the past, Birmingham has always combined both counts on the same night.

But an increasingly large number of postal votes, which have to be checked manually, and the likelihood of recounts, means that the final seats are not usually declared until about 4am, leaving the counting staff exhausted.

One possibility being looked at is to declare the council seats on Thursday night immediately after the polls close and then count the votes to elect Birmingham’s ten MPs on Friday morning. Alternatively, both elections could be counted on the Friday morning, saving the council a hefty bill in overtime payments to staff. Mr Hughes said: “I am consulting with members and taking other soundings, but I haven’t ruled out counting on the Friday.”

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