Briefing note on PCC elections
Nominations have now closed for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections in Suffolk which are taking place on Thursday 5 May.
The candidates for this year’s elections are; Terence Carter for Green Party, Helen Korfanty for Liberal Democrats, Tim Passmore for the Conservative and Unionist Party, Cath Pickles for Labour and Simon Tobin for UK Independence Party.
Voters are now being reminded to make sure they are ready to take part in the elections which are less than a month away.
The PCC Election uses a different voting system to the usual ‘first past the post system’ and instead uses the Supplementary Vote system. Voters will be asked to make a first preference choice and a second preference choice for who they want to become the Suffolk Police and Crime Commissioner.
There will be two columns on the ballot paper and electors will mark a cross against their first preference candidate in the first column, and a cross against their second preference candidate in the second column if they wish. The first and second choices must be different.
The ballot papers from around Suffolk will be counted and if one candidate receives more than 50% of the first preference votes, they will be elected.
If no candidate reaches the 50% threshold, the two candidates with the highest number of votes go forward to the next stage of the count when the second preference votes for those two will be counted. The candidate with the most votes at the end of this process will be elected.
Stephen Baker, Suffolk Police Area Returning Officer, said: “With the elections fast approaching, we want to make sure that everyone knows how to cast their vote with confidence on 5 May.
“Anyone looking for more information will be able to find the answer to their questions at: www.aboutmyvote.co.uk, and they can get in touch with our Customer Services team at Suffolk Coastal if they have any further queries about the PCC elections”.
Ben Brook, Head of the Electoral Commission, English Regions, said: “There are elections taking place all over England on 5 May, so wherever people live it’s important that everybody knows how to take part and have their say on issues in their local area.
“A lot of people don’t know what to expect on polling day, especially if they haven’t voted before, but with so much information available online and through your local Electoral Services team, we hope everyone will be able to feel confident about casting their vote in May”.
There is more information and a list of elections taking place in your area on www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
You can also find important contact details on the PARO website: www.suffolkparo.org.uk
ENDS