Newport polling station registers 0 votes for police commissioner

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

yes its my one...

In my defence though, I did register for a postal vote that never arrived!

[LaVolcan]

It's a bit of a farce, isn't it? To have an election which no-one wanted, for candidates that no-one knows anything about, at a time when cuts are being made left, right and centre. Who's stupid idea was it?

When I went up yesterday evening about 40 people had already been, whereas normally a few hundred would have voted by then.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

If my vote had arrived I might have looked into it, but I dont know anything about it at all.

[CogitoErgoSometimes]

Presumably the people of Newport will get the police commissioner they want in the next town... and will then complain when they don't do a good job. Realise the election wasn't well timed or publicised (and postal votes shouldn't go astray) but opting out of democracy is usually an own goal.

[ByTheWay1]

How sad

[confuddledDOTcom]

I know a lot of people who didn't vote on principle. We weren't letter box dropped, we didn't have "party political broadcast" type info, there was nothing unless you searched for it yourself and one person told me today they applied to each of our candidates to ask what they stand for etc and only got one reply. I have to admit for a long time I thought it was going to be a TV show thing the way it was being plugged on TV. If they want us to vote they need to tell us what we're voting for!

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Confuddled, are you here too?

[confuddledDOTcom]

No, this isn't my local, we had about a 12% turn out which is pretty low.

[HappyTurquoise]

17% turnout in Gloucestershire. It was close enough to have to look at 2nd votes and then it was won by the independent candidate.

[omletta]

Don't know what our turn out was but there wasn't a single person around when I went to spoil my ballot at 5.30, normally the busiest time.

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Yep joyful come to think of it, I've never seen anyone else vote at normal elections either?!

[piprabbit]

The staff at my station were visibly gobsmacked when I showed up to vote.
I think they'd had a nice quiet day.

[ByTheWay1]

Yep - in Gloucestershire the one with the most first choice votes ended up coming second...

because MOST people put their political affiliation first followed by the independent candidate as their second choice.... so most people's second choice won... this election gets better and better.... not......

(but I actually gave my first choice to the guy who won eventually anyway so woohooo.... ish.... I think.... )

[OliviaMumsnet]

I have to say I am shocked at my birthplace the

[bigwombat]

Olivia!

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Olivia is from Newport?!
I guess that explains the gin...

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

We are a city now though, dontcha know

[NulliusInBlurba]

Ooh, Olivia, you is from Newpaaaart, is it?

I'm neither shocked nor surprised at the zero interest in politics in certain parts of the glorious host of the Ryder Cup 2010.

If it wasn't Bettws it might have been Ringland...

Does Pontypool now have its own tribute song? If not, why not? Surely a gap in the market.

[MaryMotherOfCheeses]

[heart] rhys and eggsy

[BeyondTheLimitsOfAcceptability]

Nullius, tbh, i'm just surprised anyone in newport voted!

[Bongaloo]

It's unfortunate that the voting has been so soon after the police have been shown to be corrupt.

[NulliusInBlurba]

Erm, no Bongaloo, that wouldn't have affected the attitude of many Newportonians one way or the other. Now raising the duty on booze or fags - that would have them up in arms.

[juneau]

I always normally vote, but this PCC thing was ridiculous. No one came to the door explaining why they were standing and who they were. No one put a flyer through our door. I don't read the local paper so I can't tell you whether there were profiles of the candidates in there, but if there is no publicity and no one knows who's standing or what for, is it any wonder that hardly anyone bothered to vote?