Many St Ann’s locals ‘not allowed to vote at their nearest polling station’

A review is to be carried out into how the police and crime commissioners (PCC) elections were conducted, the Electoral Commission has said.

The overall turnout was 16.77% and there were 135,754 votes cast in total. In the Nottingham City area, the turnout was 16.09% with 33,185 votes cast.

Each vote cast for a police commissioner cost the taxpayer £14, making it the most expensive election in British history.

The poll, which cost £75 million to administer, saw just 5.34 million people – one in six of the electorate – vote.

In May there was also a very low turn out for the first referendum for Nottingham to have its first elected Mayor. Its 23.9% turn out then was only just below Manchester's and Bristol's figure of 24%.

For the SECOND time in the last 6 months, in St Ann’s the polling stations were situated up to 1/2 mile away from voters homes, and residents -- many of which were either elderly or disabled -- were not allowed to vote at their closest polling station.

For example, for elderly & disabled locals living in Bellevue Court the closest polling station was in the new St Ann’s valley Centre a short walk over St Ann’s Well Road. However, Nottingham City Council insisted everyone living in Bellevue Court should walk almost half a mile down Gordon Road?

Fewer than 15% of voters turned out in the 41 English and Welsh police areas electing a PCC, a peacetime low.

Ministers said a lack of familiarity and understanding of the role might have been behind the low turnout.

The Conservatives won 16 posts and Labour 13. Twelve went to independents, including some ex-police officers.

The commissioners will be in post until 2016 and will have the power to set policing priorities, budgets and also to hire and fire chief constables.