Lessons learned following Bristol election debacle
By Bristol City Council has said lessons have been learned following a report which criticised the way this year’s parliamentary and council elections were run in the city.
Thousands of postal voters in Bristol West received papers meant for Bristol East and ballot papers were found in the wrong box, delaying results.
Communication failure and human error were amongst the faults identified in the study commissioned by the council and conducted by independent consultant Gill Dixon, with input from the Electoral Commission.
Bristol City Council Chief Executive Jan Ormondroyd said: “The report follows a rigorous and thorough review into the problems of the 2010 elections in the city.
“It clearly shows that errors were made and we want to learn from these, but the Electoral Commission endorses the view of the Returning Officer that there is no reason to doubt the overall integrity of the election and hence the results.
“I shall now present the report for members to discuss at next week’s Overview and Scrutiny meeting and am committed to making the necessary improvements in time for 2011′s elections.”
The report identifies 36 recommendations, the key ones including:
- Establishment of a cross party Elections Committee so members can monitor, overview and scrutinise the work of the Returning Officer and Electoral Services;
- Improved customer service, in particular the way telephone enquiries are handled, so that 90% of telephone calls at peak times are answered;
- Strengthen monitoring of poll card and postal vote printing and delivery
Cllr Gary Hopkins, Cabinet member responsible for oversight of the electoral review, said the cross-party committee was “essential” to restore confidence in the city’s electoral system.
The full report will be discussed by members of the council’s Overview and Scrutiny Management Committee next Tuesday.
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