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Electoral officials are planning for a surge in postal votes at the 6 May local elections as millions of voters plan to avoid the ballot box due to fears over Covid-19.
Councils have been issued with advice on scaling up the printing and counting of postal ballots after a survey found as many as one in four people who normally vote in person are thinking of switching.
A number of local authorities in England are actively encouraging residents to vote by post and apply early for a ballot to avoid chaos in the run-up to polling day, i has learned.
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At the same time, Sadiq Khan, the London mayor, has called on the Government to launch a nationwide campaign to promote postal voter registration, warning that “democracy must not be compromised by Covid-19”.
Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said on Thursday it was important that “as many people as possible” register to vote by post due to coronavirus concerns.
Besides the expected surge in postal votes, election officials are already dealing with demands of extra ballots because the 6 May poll includes a number of elections that were held over from last year due to the pandemic.
Voters in Scotland have until 6 April to apply for a postal vote, while in England and Wales it is 20 April.
The 6 May elections include two sets of English council votes for both 2020 and 2021 seats, Scottish parliament and Welsh Senedd elections, and the London mayoral and assembly, local mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections postponed from May 2020.
A survey carried out by the Electoral Commission in December found that 23 per cent of people in England and Scotland, and 27 per cent in Wales, said that if an election were to take place at the time the research was carried out, they would prefer to vote by post.
Electoral Commission guidance says councils should “build in messaging about different methods of voting which are available to electors, including postal voting, and ensure that deadlines are publicised widely and effectively”.
The watchdog has also advised councils to check with the printing companies they use to check capacity for a possible surge in demand for postal votes, as well as keeping close watch on the number of new applications, and liaising with Royal Mail in case there is extra demand.
The guidance tells authorities: “You should keep the number of postal votes you will be issuing under review, and take any steps needed to reflect any increase in your resourcing, including the number of postal vote opening staff and the accompanying scanning equipment.
“You will also need to ensure that the venue used for opening is large enough to allow for the processing of an increased number of postal ballot packs and the presence of observers, while enabling physical distancing.
“If you are unable to obtain additional resources or a large enough space, you may need to run more postal vote opening sessions to manage the volumes of postal votes.”
Speaking at the launch of his party’s local elections campaign, Labour Party leader Sir Keir Starmer said: “Of course people are going to be concerned about going out to vote. It’s very important that as many people as possible to register for a postal vote and vote early in that way.”
A poll revealed by i this week suggested that a quarter of people are less likely to attend a polling station to vote in the upcoming local elections due to Covid-19 safety fears – with the rate of hesitancy almost doubling among Black, Asian and minority ethnic voters, and younger people.
On Thursday night London mayor Sadiq Khan said: “Democracy must not be compromised by Covid-19. That is why the Government must do everything possible to ensure that everyone, including the most vulnerable people in our society, are able to vote on 6 May.”
An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “Anyone who is thinking about voting by post should apply now, so that the application can be processed early, and the postal ballot pack can be sent out more quickly once the candidates for the elections are confirmed.
“For those who wish to vote in person, safety measures, such as face coverings, hand sanitiser and social distancing, will be in place to make polling stations safe places to vote.”
In Liverpool, the council is funding a campaign, including adverts on local radio and billboards, to encourage postal voting, including among the over-75s. Postal vote applications have already risen by 3,000 in the city.
The authority has also written to every nursing home manager in the city asking them to offer a postal vote to any elderly resident who wants one.
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