Airdrie and Coatbridge seats to preserve overnight election counts

Feb 3 2010 by Judith Tonner, Airdrie & Coatbridge

TRADITIONAL election night drama will be preserved in the Airdrie and Coatbridge seats after North Lanarkshire Council rejected the option of a next-day count.

The Election Management Board for Scotland is carrying out a consultation on the idea of waiting until the morning after polling day to begin counting ballot papers.

However, the North Lanarkshire response after the view of council chief executive and returning officer Gavin Whitefield was sought is that the local authority plan to stick with the practice of beginning the count as soon as possible after 10pm.

Votes for both the Airdrie & Shotts and Coatbridge, Chryston & Bellshill constituencies will take place overnight at Airdrie leisure centre in Motherwell Street in Rawyards.

A council spokesperson said: “We do not consider there is a requirement to move the election count to the following day.

“For the next general election, we will be continuing with our practice of counting immediately following the close of poll.”

The consultation is largely in response to the increase in postal ballots and new regulations which mean the identity of voters using them has to be even more stringently checked.

It is anticipated that this and new technology-related tasks will mean that delivering results for each seat could take an extra two or three hours.

At the last general election in 2005, John Reid was declared as Airdrie’s MP at 1.14am and Tom Clarke was returned in Coatbridge at 1.31am, three-and-a-half-hours after the polls closed.

Many constituencies across the UK have decided they will hold Friday morning counts after this year’s forthcoming election.

However, the four North Lanarkshire seats will be sticking with tradition after canvassing opinions including those of councillors at both the Airdrie and Coatbridge local area partnerships at their recent meetings.

A report presented to both noted that North Lanarkshire would have three counting centres – at Airdrie, Wishaw and Cumbernauld.

It noted: “Against the background of those arrangements it is not considered that, if the counting of the votes commences immediately following the close of poll, the declaration of results will be unduly delayed.

“However, it is accepted that there could be some savings in terms of costs were the counting of the votes to be delayed until the morning following polling day.”