Motion Moved at Full Council

Councillor Ian Grayson at the Council meeting of 28th October 2003 moved the following motion.

“ This Council notes and supports the conclusions reached by the Electoral Commission that there should be a statutory presumption that all Local Elections should be run as all postal ballots, unless there are compelling reasons why an all postal ballot would be inappropriate or disadvantageous for a group or group of electors.

In view of this, this Council supports the operation of all postal voting for all Local elections and Local Mayoral Elections, until such time as evidence suggests any other systems as providing for increased voting levels at Local Elections. Further, the Council calls on the monitoring Officer for North Tyneside to consider the feasibility of all postal voting and report back to the Council on the implications”.

At the Council meeting Councillor Ian Grayson outlined the reasons for his proposal.

  • Recent Pilot schemes of all postal voting have resulted in dramatic increases in voters voting.
  • In Gateshead, Newcastle, Sunderland and South Tyneside recent all postal ballots have doubled turnout.
  • It is about time we moved in to the 21st Century and accepted that the tradition of always turning up at a polling station on a Thursday is out of date.
  • The Electoral Commission has concluded in a recent report that all postal voting should become the norm and not the exception.
  • All postal voting does not significantly increase the costs.

    At the Council meeting the local Tory councillors abstained when this motion was put to the vote. Councillors not able to make up there minds one way or the other.

    Councillor Ian Grayson said,
    “ Are these the sort of Councillors we want running things in North Tyneside who can not even make up their minds about voting. I think it is to do with political expediency on their part as they do not want voter turn out to increase and they are worried that greater turnout will reduce their chances of winning. Typical Tories, looking after themselves”.

    28 October 2003