The Scottish SPCA is urging the public to help them care for abused, abandoned and injured animals, like Snoop, in Scotland. Scotland’s animal welfare charity is in with a chance of winning £50,000 as part of the Pets at Home Love to Give scheme. Continue reading Do you Love to Give?
With less than a week to go until the UK General Election, preparations are well under way in Edinburgh. Here are some of the numbers that go into running the election in the Capital’s five constituencies:
143: the number of polling places across the city (buildings in which people vote), which house 336 polling stations, each with one ballot box.
There are five constituencies in Edinburgh: Edinburgh East, Edinburgh North and Leith, Edinburgh South, Edinburgh South West and Edinburgh West.
22 candidates are standing across the five constituencies, representing 6 different parties.
There are 352,600 people registered to vote in Edinburgh, with 79,963 of these postal voters. This is an increase of 8.3% in postal voters compared to the local elections on 4 May (74,481) and the highest number of postal voters since the Scottish Independence Referendum in 2014 (81,666).
As of Tuesday 30 May, Edinburgh has had 33.1% of all the postal votes returned.
3000 books of ballot papers will be used by polling staff on 8 June.
More than 3600 pencils will be available and attached to polling stations using a total of 360 balls of string (more than two miles in length) – though voters do not have to use pencil and can bring their own pens.
745 polling staff will make sure voting runs smoothly in Edinburgh during the day on 8 June, while 510 count staff will count the city’s votes that night.
There is one mobile polling place in Edinburgh, the mobile library, which is parked at Forrester Park Avenue.
Amongst the equipment used across polling places during the day will be approximately 300 yellow post-its, 150 black bin bags, 84 sets of pliers and 500 fingerettes.
While 16 and 17-year-olds were able to vote in the Scottish Referendum and the recent local elections, voters must be 18 to take part in the General Election.
More numbers still…
At the recent Scottish Local Government Elections on 4 May 2017, Edinburgh had more postal votes returned – 55,056 – than any other council in Scotland. Edinburgh also had more votes to count 187,157 than any other of the 32 councils.
Edinburgh counts for around 9% of Scotland’s electorate – second most behind Glasgow.
Sweet spot: count staff will eat around 2800 boiled sweets on the night of 8 June.
Edinburgh uses cardboard polling booths – they are recyclable and save over £5000 in repair and maintenance costs for each election.
Polls open at 7am on 8 June and close at 10pm.
Find out more about when, where and how to vote.
Two Edinburgh secondary school pupils will head to the polls for the very first time – on their 16th birthday. Liberton High School S4 pupils Jade Jenkinson and Louis Baigan will both become eligible just in time to cast a vote in the local elections on Thursday 4 May. Continue reading 16th birthday vote for city pupils
The formal notice was published ahead of the local government elections on 4 May yesterday – and a group of 16 and 17-year-old city pupils found out more about how to register to vote.
A voter registration event was held at Holy Rood RC High School, raising awareness among pupils about their eligibility to cast their vote in the Council elections for the first time.
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for Edinburgh, said: “This is the first time 16 and 17-year-olds are eligible to vote in Scottish Council elections and it’s a great opportunity for young people to get involved in local democracy and have their say about how services are delivered where they live.
“Registration for the 4 May election ends on 17 April and it’s quick and easy to do – find out more at yourvotematters.co.uk and make your vote count.”
Asked why it was important for young people to go out and vote, Holy Rood High S5 pupil Jason Stewart-Evans, 17, said: “It gives me, as an individual, more of a say in my political system.”
Niyoshi Dave, 16, also S5, said: “I believe it is important to vote because the laws being passed right now will significantly affect my future.”
And Christy Biju, 16, S5, said: “Voting is a right we have and we should use it, especially young people because we are the future. We need to make our voices heard!”
Pictures: Ian Georgeson
Sir Eric Pickles has made fifty recommendations to tackle electoral fraud in the UK. The former minister says the changes, including producing ID at polling stations, are necessary to ensure the democratic process is not undermined – but opponents say the moves would discourage poorer people from voting. Continue reading Tackling electoral fraud: Pickles report published
With less than three weeks to go until the EU Referendum, citizens are being urged to ensure they know the facts about the vote. And would-be voters are also reminded that the deadline for registering to vote is this TUESDAY (7 June). Continue reading EU Referendum: Are you registered to vote?
With less than a week to go until the Scottish Parliament Election 2016, Edinburgh is gearing up to run its own part in the vote. Preparations are already well underway across the city’s polling places and count venue, while training is in progress for staff working on the day and the first postal votes are being processed.
Edinburgh’s vote is in full swing, and while the city’s 145 polling places have not experienced the record numbers of last year’s referendum, business has been described as ‘steady’. Residents have until 10pm tonight to cast their vote.
Around 80% of postal voters have already returned their papers, with a total of 357,929 people registered to take part in the election.
And with barely five hours left to cast your ballot, citizens are being urged to make sure they know where, when and how to vote so they don’t miss out.
Sue Bruce, Returning Officer for Edinburgh, said: “We already have an 80% turnout for postal votes which I think demonstrates the interest in the election.
“We don’t want anyone missing out on this important vote because they are not sure how to. I would urge voters to leave plenty of time to visit their local polling station, and to take great care when filling out their ballot papers.”
Polling places will be open until 10pm tonight, Thursday, 7 May
Information on local polling places can be found on the polling card delivered to homes or on the Council website.
Postal voters who have not yet returned their ballot paper by post will still be able to hand it in at Waverley Court or City Chambers receptions or at any Edinburgh polling place on Thursday.
Those planning to take part in the Election are also being advised to take great care when filling out their ballot paper, by marking a single X next to their choice. Additional comments, marks or mistakes can result in a vote not being counted.
The secrecy of ballot papers is important as it ensures no one feels under pressure to vote in a particular way.
Once your vote has been cast
All votes are secure and accounted for so that the final result can be trusted. Every ballot paper, whether used, unused or spoilt, is accounted for and treated as highly sensitive and confidential. Votes will be counted as soon as possible after the close of the poll at 10pm.
Full details of vote security and counting are available on the Council website.
Edinburgh’s voters are being urged to check their registration details are correct four weeks ahead of the General Election on 7 May.
Citizens are being reminded that they must be registered in order to cast their vote in May’s election, with tenants and recent movers in particular the focus of a drive to encourage registration.
Members of the public, including students and people who have moved home since the last time they registered, should check they are on the electoral role ahead of the registration deadline on 20 April.
Nominations close on Thursday for General Election Candidates, when the final list of those standing for Edinburgh’s five constituencies will be announced.
Sue Bruce, Chief Executive of City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies, said: “Interest in the forthcoming General Election is really starting to build up. It is essential that voters’ registration details are up-to-date so they can cast their votes and I would urge anyone who is unsure to check in plenty of time.”
More than 84% of the city’s residents voted in the Scottish Independence Referendum in September, but changes to the electoral registration system could mean some electors need to re-register. Anyone who has moved since August can update their address or other details by visiting the GOV.UK website.
Dear Editor
The most important thing for the labour movement is to protect unity: without this, individuals and sections of the population become isolated and open to manipulation, followed by a lowering of their standard of living.
The powers that be continually use the press, radio and television to destroy that unity, attacking all sections of the labour movement whether individuals, the unions or the Labour Party, hoping to achieve and retain political control. In May we have a choice: do we vote Conservative, Lib Dem, Labour?
We know exactly what the Tories have done over the past five years, and what they intend to do. We know more or less exactly how the Lib Dems will perform.
That leaves Labour as the only hope to do what we would like to be done. This is the reason for the powerful campaign against the Labour movement.
Of course at present in Scotland the SNP seems to have attracted many labour movement supporters on the assumption the SNP will better represent the working population, therefore remaining part of the labour movement working for change.
If that is so, then co-operation between the SNP and the Labour Party is essential to throw out the Tories and the Lib Dems everywhere. May 2015 is crunch time; we must not lose this opportunity of getting rid of them.
We need unity now more than ever to save our social and public services on which we all rely. Ukip does not and cannot speak for the working population; it’s policies are conservative, divisive and backward-looking.
A.Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens
