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Local election innovative e-counts a major success
DRS sophisticated e-counting technology delivered results in record time once again in four innovative local authority postal elections on May 1st. With a combined electorate of around 200,000, the postal votes for the Shrewsbury & Atcham Borough Council’s multi-channel election and three Durham local authority all postal elections were a complete success, with some of the results being available just 45 minutes after the count started.
As part of the government drive to improve voter turnout, Co. Durham based Chester-le-Street, Derwentside and Wear Valley District Councils joined forces to undertake a unique and innovative fully e-counted election. Unique because it was the first time a group of authorities had combined efforts in undertaking a local election, innovative because it was conducted as all postal. DRS worked in partnership with the three Durham authorities in designing and printing voter packs and postal ballots for the combined electorate of 160,000. With a combined turnout of over 52%, the returned postal ballots from 51 wards were counted quickly and accurately on the night using DRS sophisticated imaging scanners in a central location in the Louisa Leisure Centre in Stanley, Co. Durham.
Mike Bonser, Derwentside Returning Officer said "The e-counting technology and technical support of the DRS team was superb, results of some of the counts were available well before the earliest allowable declaration time of 9pm set by the Government."
DRS e-counting technology was also used in Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council’s innovative multi-channel election, where the Council’s 40,000 voters were given the opportunity to vote by post, phone, internet or digital TV. Returned postal ballots were logged as they were received in the run up to May 1st to ensure votes were recorded and integrated into the other voting channels, this guaranteed each voter was only able to cast one vote.
After the count, Mike Croston, Deputy Returning Officer said "The e-counting technology seamlessly integrated with the other channels and enabled results to be declared in record time. The election count was a complete success."