Tomorrow, Thursday 15th November, Island residents will visit polling stations across the Isle of Wight to elect the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner.
Six candidates are jostling for the role , which will see the winning candidate take on the powers of Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, with a five-year term of office to begin on Thursday, November 22nd.
Police and Crime Commissioner elections are taking place in 41 police force areas across England (excluding London) and Wales on Thursday 15th November.
Those who announced their candidacy for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight (as published by Island Pulse) are:
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Jacqui Rayment, Labour Website Link: http://jacquirayment.co.uk/
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Simon Hayes, Independent Website Link: https://twitter.com/Hayes4HantsPCC
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Michael Mates, Conservative Website Link: http://www.michaelmates.org/
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David Goodall, Liberal Democrat Website Link: http://davidgoodall.org.uk/en/
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Don Jerrard, Anti-Corruption Party Website Link: http://www.jacparty.org.uk/
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Stephen West UKIP Candidate Website Link: http://www.vote4stephen.com/
View more information on the candidates click here
The PCCs, as they will be known, will be tasked with scrutinising their force and holding it to account. They will also be able to hire and dismiss the chief constable and set the force’s budget.
Commissioners will directly replace the existing police authorities at 41 of the country’s 43 forces. The move came after the Government raised concerns about the perceived lack of accountability of the authorities.
These are new elections: they are for a new role; with different constituencies to any other poll; are taking place at an unfamiliar time of year for voters; and are using a voting system with which most voters will be unfamiliar.
The voting system
PCCs are elected using the Supplementary Vote – the same system used in mayoral elections. However where there are only two candidates the First Past the Post system will be used. This will be the case in three areas: Dyfed-Powys, North Yorkshire, and Staffordshire.
Under the Supplementary Vote, voters put a cross for their first choice candidate in the left hand column. They can then put a cross for their second choice candidate in the right hand column if they wish. As long as a cross is marked in the first choice column, then their vote will count. Where First Past the Post is used, voters will be asked to mark one cross by the candidate they want to win.
Calculation of the results under the Supplementary Voting system
If a candidate receives more than half of all first choice votes, they are elected immediately.
If this does not happen, the two candidates with the most first choice votes go through to a second round. All other candidates are eliminated, but their second choice votes for either of the top two candidates are added to the totals for those two candidates from the first round.
The candidate with the highest combined total of first and second choice votes will be elected as the PCC.
Public awareness of the elections
The Electoral Commission sent out a booklet with factual information on what the elections are for, when they are taking place and how to vote to 21 million households across England (outside London) and Wales. It also included details of the Government’s candidate information website address and telephone number for requesting printed information. The booklet has been backed up by a public awareness campaign including TV, radio and online advertising, which began on 22 October and will run until polling day.
Information about candidates
The Home Office has provided a candidate information website (www.choosemypcc.org.uk) where voters can find out who is standing for election in their area and read their election addresses. There is also a phone number for voters who want to request printed information (0800 1 07 07 08).
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