Thursday, January 25, 2007

Elections Consultative Group

One non-Children and Families meeting that I do frequently attend is the 'Elections Consultative Group' at the City Council. Body of politicians and activists from all of the main parties which gets together with the senior electoral returning officers for the Edinburgh area ... good forum for general debate about all-things electoral. Scintillating stuff I hear you say ;-))

Well, it is actually getting a bit interesting now in the final run-up to the poll on May 3rd - with, what I consider, a crazy debate about whether to start counting national separate from local ballots or to count the whole lot in one go. What's crazy about it, is the insistence that either way counting has to start at 10pm as soon as the polls shut.

Why there is a desperate need to count 'on the night', I've never really understood. Would be better for all concerned if it was simply left to the Friday - or even more outrageous, why doesn't the UK do what most of the rest of the world does and vote at weekends??

No comments: