North East - Use of "greeters" and impact of Voter ID at May 2023 elections
Dear Northumberland County Council,
Please can you answer the following freedom of information request:
BACKGROUND INFO:
According to a recent Guardian article:
"While clerks inside polling stations will take a formal register of those lacking ID, some venues will use “greeters” outside to remind people about the need for ID before they go in. They will not record the numbers who then leave because they do not have ID and do not return to vote."
Furthermore, according to the Electoral Commission:
Greeters are official members of polling station staff, and are the responsibility of the Returning Officer. They can be used to welcome voters, remind them about the need to show ID, and help speed up the voting process.
When submitting data from polling stations, local authorities will need to tell us how many of their polling stations had at least one greeter – they do not need to report how many they had. We don’t issue specific guidance for them, but they are mentioned in our polling station handbook.
The official data on the proportion of people who were turned away, and those that later returned to the polling station with accepted ID, could only be collected by those at the ballot issuing desk, and not by greeters at the entrance. The presence of a greeter at a polling station is likely to affect the data recorded at the desk. For this reason, local authorities will need to separate out the data they will report to us into polling stations with and without greeters when submitting figures after the polls.
While we know that some potential voters will have been turned away by greeters, others will have been deterred earlier in their journey or earlier on polling day, and despite the very best efforts would remain beyond the reach of any practical data collection exercise. So, alongside the information collected from polling stations, we will also be doing public opinion surveying across England, to understand the experience of voters.
MY REQUEST:
1 - Please can you confirm if this council used "greeters" at the entrance to voting stations during the recent May 2023 elections?
2 - Did you record the number of people turned away from voting stations by "greeters" during the May 2023 elections?
3 - Please provide ALL datasets you hold regarding the number, use and impact of "Greeters" at polling stations during the recent local elections held in May 2023
4 - Please provide ALL datasets you hold regarding the use of voter ID and the impact of voter ID at the recent local elections held in May 2023
I look forward to receiving a response within 20 working days.
Yours faithfully,
russell scott
Our Ref: 12448
Dear Mr Scott,
INFORMATION REQUEST
Thank you for your request for information which will be dealt with under
the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
In some circumstances a fee may be payable and if that is the case, we
will let you know the likely charges before proceeding.
If you have any queries about this matter please contact us. Please
remember to quote the reference number above in any future communications.
Kind regards,
Julia
Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF
Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [email address]
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk
Our Ref: 12448
Dear Mr Scott,
FREEDOM OF INFORMATION ACT REQUEST
I refer to your Freedom of Information request in relation to voter ID at
the 2023 local elections.
Right of Access
Section 1(1) of the Act provides any person making a request for
information to a public authority is entitled.
(a) to be informed in writing by the public authority whether it holds
information of the description specified in the request (which Section
1(6) of the Act designates as the "duty to confirm or deny"), and
(b) if that is the case, to have that information communicated to him.
The right is to obtain access to the information itself and not to the
document or record which contains it.
The Act creates a general right of access to information held by public
authorities subject to various exemptions.
In response to your questions, I have included the answers below:
Q.1 Please can you confirm if this council used "greeters" at the entrance
to voting stations during the recent May 2023 elections?
A.1 Northumberland County Council did not hold any elections in May 2023
Q.2 Did you record the number of people turned away from voting stations
by "greeters" during the May 2023 elections?
A.2 Northumberland County Council did not hold any elections in May 2023
Q.3 Please provide ALL datasets you hold regarding the number, use and
impact of "Greeters" at polling stations during the recent local elections
held in May 2023
A.3 Northumberland County Council did not hold any elections in May 2023
Q.4 Please provide ALL datasets you hold regarding the use of voter ID and
the impact of voter ID at the recent local elections held in May 2023
A.4 Northumberland County Council did not hold any elections in May 2023
Complaints
If you are unhappy with the way your request for information has been
handled, you can request an internal review by writing within 2 months
from the date of this response to the Information Governance Office:
Information Governance Office, Northumberland County Council, County Hall,
Morpeth, NE61 2EF
Email: [email address]
Information Commissioner
If you remain dissatisfied with the handling of your request, you have a
right by Section 50 of the Act to apply to the Information Commissioner
for a decision as to whether your request has been dealt with in
accordance with the requirements of the Act at:
The Information Commissioner's Office, Wycliffe House, Water Lane,
Wilmslow, Cheshire, SK9 5AF
Tel: 0303 123 1113, Email: [email address]
There is no charge for making an appeal.
Yours sincerely,
FOI Coordinator – Member & Electoral Services
Information Governance Office
Northumberland County Council
County Hall
Morpeth
Northumberland
NE61 2EF
Tel: 0345 600 6400
Email: [email address]
Web: http://www.northumberland.gov.uk
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