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How Not to Run an Election the Police & Crime Commissioner Elections

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How Not to Run an Election the Police & Crime Commissioner Elections How not to run an election The Police & Crime Commissioner Elections 15 November 2012 | Jess Garland & Chris Terry Report & Analysis Electoral Reform Society Thomas Hare House 6 Chancel St London SE1 0UU Email: [email protected] Phone: 020 7928 1622 Web: www.electoral-reform.org.uk Twitter: @electoralreform How not to run an election The Police & Crime Commissioner Elections 15 November 2012 | Jess Garland & Chris Terry Report & Analysis Contents 5 Introduction 9 Active Participation? 13 Fair Representation? 19 Afterword 22 Appendix How not to run an election Jess Garland & Chris Terry The Police and Crime Commissioner Electons 5 Introduction 1. Policing in the On 15 November 2012 English and Welsh voters election was conducted, the Government has not 21st Century: Reconnecting police went to the polls to elect the first Police and conceded that errors were made. There was no and the people, Crime Commissioners (PCCs). shortage of warnings: from us; from candidates; Home Office White from the independent Electoral Commission. Yet Paper, July 2010. The election saw the lowest turnout in all were ignored. One government minister even 2. Daily Telegraph, peacetime history with only 15.1% of voters insisted the “carping” about the elections was 18 August 2012, 2 Turnout of 18% turning out. just a “silly season story”. predicted for police commissioner election ‘shambles’ The post was introduced by the Police The news of the failures became so widespread http://www. Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 that at least some voters came to know about telegraph.co.uk/ the new office, even if for many it was after the news/uknews/law- which abolished police authorities, previously and-order/9483006/ responsible for overseeing police forces, and ballot boxes had been emptied. However, polling Turnout-of-18- replaced them with directly elected Police and shows that any awareness of who had been predicted-for-police- commissioner- Crime Commissioners. The Commissioners have elected did not last that long. In fact, although election-shambles. a fixed four year term of office, limited to two the turnout of 15% was considered dismal by html terms and are elected by the Supplementary everyone (apart from the Government), it seems 3. Electoral Reform Vote. that even fewer people than actually voted can Society PCC Poll, name their local PCC. Conducted by Populus, 30-31 The Home Office stated a desire to“empower January 2013, the public - increasing local accountability A poll, conducted by Populus in the last week sample 1624 adults 3 in England and and giving the public a direct say on how of January 2013 , showed that only 11% of Wales (excluding their streets are policed”.1 Unfortunately on respondents could correctly name the person London). 15 November 2012 less than 1 in 5 members of elected for their area. In other words, after the public chose to take up this opportunity. This spending £75 million holding the elections and flagship policy was poorly delivered and failed millions more to staff and resource officeholders, both candidates and voters alike. nearly 90% of Britons have no idea who their elected police and crime commissioner is. From the start, the PCC elections looked set to be an exercise in how not to run an election. There are lessons to be learnt which we want to The date of the election was moved from May see implemented for the next PCC election: to November creating the first barrier to voters turning out. Voters were then left in the dark Never hold another election in the winter about who they could vote for with a lack months which discourages people from of centrally provided candidate information. turning out. Candidates were kept away by huge deposits, unclear eligibility rules, vast electoral districts and Never leave voters in the dark about who or high campaign costs. what they are voting for - ensure information on candidates is provided in mailings to The Electoral Reform Society predicted these voters. factors could add up to extremely low turnout – 18.5%. Unfortunately we were proved right. Ensure a level playing field for candidates This report sets out the problems leading up to through well-designed election rules. and including polling day on 15 November 2012. Despite calls from many people at the time to acknowledge the deficiencies at the way the A Comedy of Errors Jess Garland & Chris Terry X The Police and Crime Commissioner Electons How not to run an election Jess Garland & Chris Terry The Police and Crime Commissioner Electons 7 Democratic accountability requires active participation and fair representation. The Police and Crime Commissioner elections failed to provide either for candidates or voters. This report provides a brief overview of the elections, the results and the candidate and voter experience. We hope that the next elections will remedy the mistakes made in 2012. Katie Ghose Chief Executive Electoral Reform Society How not to run an election Jess Garland & Chris Terry The Police and Crime Commissioner Electons 9 Active Participation? 4. ERS survey of The Police and Crime Commissioner elections It is clear that voters were suspicious about the PCC candidates, 16-27 November put up a number of obstacles for both voters nature of the post, confused about the reasons for 2012, sample and candidates. The result was low awareness conferring election upon it and in the dark about 46 candidates. We surveyed amongst voters and correspondingly low those standing for it. A failure to engage voters in candidates and participation resulting in the lowest peace-time this election meant that many simply chose not to voters to find out turnout of any national election at just over 15%. participate. their impressions of the election. Our candidate survey was completed by over a quarter of Why people didn’t vote No information those who stood. An ERS poll conducted by Populus immediately The level of public awareness for the election after the election found that: was staggeringly low with voters left in the dark about who or what they were voting for. In our 45% of people who did not vote said they survey of PCC candidates we found that 88% “didn’t have enough information about the of candidates felt that public awareness of candidates to make a decision”. the election was low, of these 62% thought it was very low.4 One candidate commented “The In our survey the second most popular reason Government’s communication strategy was a given for not voting was disagreement with the complete disaster”. position itself. Nearly 1 in 5 non-voters said they “don’t agree with electing police officials in this Voter awareness was further depressed by a lack way”. of information. Information on candidates was What kept people at home? 18% I didn’t have enough information about the candidates to make a decision I don’t agree with electing police officials 45% this way 18% I wasn’t interested Other 19% Electoral Reform Society PCC Poll, conducted by Populus, 16-19th November 2012, sample 1117, adults in England and Wales (excluding London). How not to run an election Jess Garland & Chris Terry 10 The Police and Crime Commissioner Electons 5. Electoral not sent out to voters in the post. Instead, voters asked candidates if they had phoned to request Commission media briefing on the received an information booklet from the Electoral information booklets themselves. Of those that Police and Crime Commission with factual information on the had, the majority had still not received them after Commissioner (PCC) elections – 12 election itself; how to vote and what the election the election was over. November 2012 was for. The official website went live on 26 October just 6. Electoral Commission, 83% of candidates were not satisfied with three weeks before the election. The website Briefing on the official voter information leaflet, of these was poorly promoted and did not provide links to Police and Crime Commissioners, 57% were very dissatisfied candidates’ own webpages. Nor was provision March 2012 made for political party broadcasts on regional 7. ERS survey of 98% of candidates would have preferred television or radio stations. 77% of candidates PCC candidates, candidate information sent out in the post felt local radio broadcasts would have helped 16th-27th by the Electoral Commission get their message across.7 November 2012, sample 46 candidates. The Electoral Commission raised the issue of The Government did make provision for a series of 8. ERS survey of providing candidate information (an ‘electoral TV adverts about the election but these focused PCC candidates, address’) during the passage of the Police and on criminal acts rather than information about 16th-27th November 2012, Social Responsibility Act in September 2011. They the role. One candidate described the adverts as sample 46 recommended that the government provide a “appallingly prejudiced and stereotyped”.8 candidates. booklet with candidate information to be sent to all 9. Answer to Lords households as provided in mayoral elections. The In our survey 78% of candidates suggested parliamentary Electoral Commission stated: “the Government (unprompted) that improving information to question on 21 May 2012. had not identified an adequate mechanism for voters was a priority for improving the election. making sure all voters received information One candidate said “there is no excuse for the about the candidates in their area.”5 government to have failed to fund a freepost mailing”. The Government subsequently failed to take up the Commission’s suggestion of adding local candidate information into the centrally provided Costs information booklet. The total cost of the election was given as £75 Information about candidates and what they million.9 This includes an extra £25 million just to stood for was only available on the internet via hold the elections in November instead of May – a the website www.choosemypcc.org.uk, meaning time of year when voters are less likely to turn out.
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