Prisoner Voting

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Dear City of York Council,

The Representation of the People Act 1983 prevents prisoners from voting in elections. Prisoners are not entitled to be registered to vote because they are legally incapable of voting. However there are some prisoners who are currently eligible to vote in elections:

• • Unconvicted prisoners (i.e. those on remand).
• • Convicted but unsentenced prisoners.
• • Persons imprisoned for contempt of court or under Prison Rule 7(3) 2.
• • Those serving a term of imprisonment in default of payment of a sum of money, adjudged to be paid on conviction.
• • Those on temporary day release on the date of an election.

In accordance with the Freedom of Information Act 2000, can you please provide me with the following information.

1. Can you please tell me how many prisoners held at HMP Askham Grange and HMP Wealstun on 12 December 2019 were eligible to vote in the UK General Election held that day.

2. Can you please tell how many prisoners held at HMP Askham Grange and HMP Wealstun on 12 December 2019 voted in the UK General Election held on that day.

3. Can you please provide a breakdown for each prison.

Yours faithfully,

Robert Jones

foi@york.gov.uk, City of York Council

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* The timescale for responding to requests for a review, of responses to your rights regarding personal data, is up to 1 month. You are also able to contact the Information Commissioner, contact details below:

Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a national rate number
Fax: 01625 524 510
Or email: [email address]<mailto:[email address]> (please include your telephone number in your email)

Regards
Information governance, complaints and feedback team

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information.governance@york.gov.uk, City of York Council

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Dear Mr Jones,
 
Please see below the response to your enquiry under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA).
 

 1. Can you please tell me how many prisoners held at HMP Askham Grange
and HMP Wealstun on 12 December 2019 were eligible to vote in the UK
General Election held that day.

HMP Wealstun is not within the City of York Councils registration
boundary. Therefore this information is not held.
 
The local authority responsible for this region is Leeds City Council, see
link for contact details:
[1]https://news.leeds.gov.uk/contact-us/how...
 
For HMP Askham Grange the 2019 publication of  ‘Register of Electors’ is
no longer held by the council, the ERO is only permitted by law to allow
access to the current register and the retention period for the current
register is 12 months.   Paper copies of obsolete annual publications of
the ‘Register of Electors’ are transferred to Explore Libraries and
Archives, and you can request to view these under supervision and by
appointment. See link for contact details of York library:
[2]https://exploreyork.org.uk/
 
However, to assist you with your enquiry I can advise the way this
information is recorded on the register, a search may not glean any usable
results, as reference codes are used to protect the personal information
of special category electors which includes remand prisoners.
 

 2. Can you please tell how many prisoners held at HMP Askham Grange and
HMP Wealstun on 12 December 2019 voted in the UK General Election held
on that day.

HMP Wealstun – As above in point 1
 
Although any person can make a written request specifying their reasons to
view the ‘Marked Polling Station Registers’ they are only held for 12
months after the election date and then are destroyed unless a Court
directs otherwise. Therefore, this information is not held.
 
The Marked Polling Station Register, is only available for supply if
requested by specified persons on payment of a prescribed fee of £10 plus
£2 for printed and £1 for data versions per 1,000 entries. It  is not
available for disclosure into the public realm under the Freedom of
Information Act (FOIA).
 
See attached Guidance for candidates and agents.
 

 3. Can you please provide a breakdown for each prison.

                As above, in points 1 and 2.
 
If you are dissatisfied with our response you have the right to ask for an
independent review of how your enquiry was handled and responded to. This
can be done by contacting us at [3][City of York Council request email] within 40 working days
of receiving your response, stating your reason(s) why you are
dissatisfied.
 
If you remain dissatisfied following the internal review response you can
contact the Information Commissioner, contact details below:
Information Commissioner's Office
Wycliffe House Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113 (local rate) or 01625 545 745 if you prefer to use a
national rate number
Fax: 01625 524 510
Or email: [4][email address] (please include your telephone number)
 
Yours sincerely,
 
Information Governance Advisor.
t: 01904 554145 | e: [5][email address]
 
City of York Council  | Corporate Governance Team
West Offices | Station Rise | York YO1 6GA
[6]www.york.gov.uk | [7]facebook.com/cityofyork | [8]@CityofYork
 
 
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Help protect the environment! - please don't print this email unless you
really need to.

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information.governance@york.gov.uk, City of York Council

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Please See attached Guidance for candidates and agents.

 

Information Governance Advisor.
t: 01904 554145 | e: [1][City of York Council request email]

 

City of York Council  |  Corporate Governance Team

West Offices | Station Rise | York YO1 6GA

[2]www.york.gov.uk | [3]facebook.com/cityofyork | [4]@CityofYork

[5]cid:image002.png@01D6FAFD.84886710

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