Hammersmith and Fulham elects
Friday April 16, 2010
The race is on for control of Hammersmith town hall and the two new parliamentary seats of Hammersmith and Chelsea & Fulham.
With just two weeks to go until the May 6 poll the town hall has been a hive of activity with polling booths, ballot boxes and other election paraphernalia being dusted down for the big day.
A team of more than 250 special election staff have been drafted in to work through the night to count the votes of the two parliamentary seats and the 16 council wards. 142 candidates from five political parties – as well as two independents – are contesting the 46 available council seats.
As a high-profile London borough the count has already attracted media attention from around the world, with even Japanese television planning to broadcast from Hammersmith town hall on the night.
Geoff Alltimes, H&F Chief Executive and Returning Officer, says: “Combining the polls for the local and general elections usually increases turnout and we expect the same will happen this time. Local election turnouts tend to be around 25 per cent lower than for general elections so a combined poll is good for local democracy.”
H&F has one of the most transient populations in Britain with around 30,000 people moving into the borough and another 30,000 moving out every year. Despite this, 97 per cent of households have been registered by the council’s electoral services team – the highest response rate in inner London. The electoral services team is one of just three elite ‘beacon’ boroughs nationwide praised for the quality of their work.
Mr Alltimes continues: “The future direction of the borough and the nation will be decided for the next four years on May 6. It is up to residents to cast their vote and decide what direction that is.”
If no recounts are necessary, the council expects to declare both parliamentary seats by around 3.30am on Friday 7 with the count for the council elections starting at 10am and results for each ward coming through during the afternoon.
Download the Hammersmith & Fulham elects newspaper supplement» (pdf, 1.5MB)
