Public delivers verdict on traditional election night

17 September 2009

The traditional general election night with votes counted through the night after the polls close should continue, according to a new poll commissioned by the Local Government Association.

Half of all voters (50 per cent) said that votes should be counted and results declared as soon as possible after the polls close, according to the ComRes poll.

The poll showed that slightly more than one in five voters (22 per cent) backed moves to count votes and declare results on the day after the general election.

Some 27 per cent of voters said they did not mind when votes were counted.

The LGA, which represents more than 350 councils in England and Wales, commissioned ComRes to carry out the poll to inform public debate about proposals to move some counts from the night of polling day to the following morning.

Cllr Margaret Eaton, chairman of the Local Government Association, said: "Election night is one of the best and most dramatic nights of the year for anyone interested in politics and many councils will be vying to be the first to declare.

"Town Hall returning officers and their armies of tellers are responsible for the best-run elections in the world. They have to make sure results are 100 per cent accurate as well as declaring them as quickly as possible.

"It’s right that each area decides how to run elections, because some constituencies cover huge rural areas while others will have to contend with large numbers of postal votes which have to be carefully verified. There are also many areas where votes have traditionally been counted on a Friday.

"Council staff running counts are huge enthusiasts for elections and will do everything to get the right results to voters as quickly as they can."

Please view the LGA election night poll results.

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