Local election results could take FIVE DAYS to count after May 6 vote
Local election results could take FIVE DAYS to count after the polls open on May 6 due to Covid rules on ballot papers and multiple votes taking place at the same time
- Elections are due to be held across Great Britain on ‘Super Thursday’ May 6
- But Lord Haywood said that some counts could still be taking place on May 11
- Covid restrictions mean that almost none will be traditionally counted overnight
The results of May’s local elections could take days to unravel because of Covid restrictions and the sheer number of votes taking place across the UK, a leading polling expert said today.
A bumper set of elections are due to be held across Great Britain on ‘Super Thursday’ – May 6 – including a number of contests postponed from 2020.
But Lord Robert Haywood said that counts for some could still be taking place on Tuesday May 11.
Covid restrictions mean that almost none of the elections in England and Wales will be counted overnight, as is traditional.
It means to could take days to unpick the results and see which parties have fared well and which have struggled.
Analysis by Lord Hayward and Sevanta show that Boris Johnson has enjoyed a vaccine boost in the polls ahead of the vote from people aged 54 and over who have been jabbed.
But the Tory peer warned that the Prime Minister faces a task to keep those votes when the immediate joy has dies down in the coming weeks.
He said: ‘I expect large numbers of counts to be running from Friday into Saturday, into Sunday and possibly into Monday and Tuesday.’
A bumper set of elections are due to be held across Great Britain on ‘Super Thursday’ – May 6 – including a number of contests postponed from 2020.
But Lord Robert Haywood said that counts for some could still be taking place on Tuesday May 11
He added: ‘On the 6th of May the overwhelming majority of places in England and Wales will have multiple ballots. Then it comes to the count – effectively nothing on the night.
“The public health official in Hertfordshire (Director of Public Health for Hertfordshire, Jim McManus) just before the weekend announced that he was expecting all ballot papers to be put into quarantine for 24 hours.
‘Most authorities … I checked with the AEA (Association of Electoral Administrators), they were not aware of anybody who is counting on the night.
‘So they will start counting on Friday … remembering there are multiple ballots in most places and remembering also that many of the local authorities will not have more than one ballot box.
‘They might have two, but they will have to check every ballot box to ensure that each ballot paper has been put in in the right place.’
The scale of ‘Super Thursday’ means that every voter in Great Britain will be able to take part in at least one type of poll, making it the biggest event of its kind outside a general election.
It will also be the first big electoral test for Sir Keir Starmer since he became Labour leader in April 2020, and for Prime Minister Boris Johnson since his general election victory in December 2019.
The elections include council, mayoral and police and crime commissioner votes in England, including the vote for the mayor of London.
Additionally, there are parliamentary and assembly votes in Scotland and Wales respectively.
Some of the contests were due to take place last year but were postponed due to the pandemic and there were fears that ministers would have to delay them again because of the latest lockdown.
Analysis by Lord Hayward and Sevanta show that Boris Johnson has enjoyed a vaccine boost in the polls ahead of the vote from people aged 54 and over who have been jabbed.
The pile-up means that some areas will have multiple votes. Parts of the London borough of Tower Hamlets will be asked to vote for five different things, including the mayor of London, a local mayor, the London Assembly and the local council.
Lord Hayward said the Tories have opened up a ‘six or seven per cent’ lead over Labour since the beginning of December, according to analysis of polling surveys from Savanta ComRes.
The two parties were ‘neck and neck’ in early December, according to the analysis, which is when the UK’s coronavirus vaccine rollout began.
Lord Hayward said this movement towards the Tories started with the cohort aged 64 and over, with signs suggesting that this shift is now also being observed in those aged 54 and over.
The pollster told reporters: ‘It is quite noticeable. It was first of all the age group from 64 upwards that moved. There’s some sign now that the 55-year-old and upwards are also moving.
‘And interestingly enough, they are the people who have received their vaccinations. So there’s clearly an element of vaccine bounce. I think it goes hand in hand – I don’t think it’s chance.’
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