Labour candidate for Arundel and Courtwick Michael Ward is urging Arun District Council to mount a major publicity campaign to warn voters in the May 6 West Sussex County Council elections that only two out of nine of the stations in the Division will be open.
Arun Council has decided to drastically reduce the number of polling stations in every division to make it safer during the pandemic. However, so far, there has been little publicity about the move – which, it’s feared, could put people off voting.
“We understand why it’s been necessary to protect staff and voters by reducing polling stations but it is a significant upheaval when people are used to voting near home. There needs to be a massive public information campaign with posters, adverts in local newspapers and leaflets in public places. Voters have a responsibility to cast their vote but public officials have a responsibility to enable them to do so,” says WSCC election candidate Michael Ward.
There will only be one polling station open in Arundel – at the Baptist church off the Ford road – with voters from surrounding villages such as Burpham and Houghton needing to travel by car to get there. Voters from Lyminster won’t be able to vote at the Bell Tower of St Mary’s but will join those across Courtwick in needing to travel to The Loft at The Bodyshop in Littlehampton to vote.
Mr Ward has written to Arun Council to ask them to do more to publicise the changes which he worries could confuse some and put off others:
“The risk if there is no information is that there will be a very, very low turnout because people may have long, complicated and unfamiliar journeys to get to one of the two polling stations open. That would be bad for voters unable to exercise their rights to vote and bad for democracy.”
“If people are made aware now of the changes then they have time to register for postal votes to save the inconvenience of having to travel to a more distant polling station.”
Postal votes can be applied for from now until April 20th.
“But don’t leave it till the last minute,” urged Michael Ward. “Apply NOW – or telephone Arun Council on 01903 737616.”
Arun District Council has reduced the number of polling stations in every one of its 13 Divisions to two focussing on bigger venues where social distancing and other Covid-safety measures can be applied. This measure is being introduced just for the 2021 elections.
In other rural Divisions similar disruption is forecast. In Angmering and Findon voters in Findon will need to travel to Clapham and Patching Village Hall and three of the four local stations around Angmering will all have to visit Angmering Community centre. In Fontwell just two venues – Barnham Community Centre and Westergate Methodist Church – will serve an area that normally has access to nine polling stations.