More Shropshire voters use postal ballot
Wednesday 20th April 2011, 2:31PM BST.
Postal voting in some areas of Shropshire has increased by nearly 10 per cent in the last four years, according to new figures which have been released today.
More than 75,000 ballot papers will hit doormats across the county this week as residents get the chance to vote in local elections and in the referendum on the parliamentary voting system.
Telford & Wrekin Council has claimed 41,000 voters in the borough have registered to vote by post, an eight per cent increase since the last time local elections were held in 2007.
Shropshire Council officials have revealed 34,500 have registered to use postal votes, an increase of more than 1,000 people on last year’s local elections.
Critics of postal voting claim the system is more open exposed to electoral fraud, but Victor Brownlees, returning officer for Telford & Wrekin Council, said the increase in postal voting was a positive step to ensuring more people took part.
He said: “It’s good to see that postal voting continues to be ever more popular.
“Typically more postal voters means a higher turnout for elections which can only be a good thing for a strong local democracy in which people want to have their say.”
Residents in Telford & Wrekin signed up for postal voting will receive up to three ballot papers on Thursday for the May 5 elections. Shropshire Council constituents, who are only voting on the referendum, will get their ballot papers in the next few days.
Anyone aged over 18 can apply for a postal vote as long as they are on the electoral register.
By Peter Finch
UK News
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