"SHHH! Election taking place ..." Cumbria Chronic's view of the Egremont South by-election

The Cumbria Chronic has published a piece on the Egremont South by-election, which you can read by clicking on the link immediately below:

SHHH! ELECTION TAKING PLACE… – The Cumbria Chronic

Most of the time Egremont Town council works together pretty well in a constructive and not-particularly partisan or party-political manner. A vote which took place this week about the forthcoming by-election was, I think, the most controversial since I joined the council two years ago.

Normally polling cards are sent out when there is an election to make sure everyone who is entitled to vote knows that there is an election, when, where and how to vote etc.

But apparently this is not automatic and when there is a Town Council by election, the council gets to decide whether or not to send out polling cards.

If there is a contest when nominations close for the vacant town council seat representing Egremont South at 4pm next Wednesday, 26th March 2025, then there will be a by-election on Thursday 24th April.

Good luck finding out about it if you're not on Facebook and don't get called on by one of the candidates, because Egremont Town Council voted, on the chair's casting vote after a 3:3 tie, not to fork out the £1,400 cost of printing and sending out polling cards.

The argument put by those who voted not to send out polling cards was to save money, and that the electorate could be informed by other means such as Facebook.

I was one of the three councillors who voted that polling cards should go out, because not all electors are online and without an official notice of the election through the door some voters are bound to miss out, either because they miss the election entirely or find out too late to get voter ID or a postal vote should they need either. 

(Remember, you now need ID to vote in any public election. The council can provide a voter ID card if you don't have anything else suitable but this takes time to organise so there is a deadline.) 

Watch this space for further news about the by-election.

 



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