Smart Voting in Shrewsbury 2003

Pilot Scheme Evaluation

by The Electoral Commission

In November 2002, Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council applied to the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) to take part in an Electoral Pilot Scheme, which was to be run during the 2003 Local Elections. This was the first Voting Pilot to be undertaken by the Council. The Council's proposals consisted of offering all electors the opportunity to vote using one of a number of alternative channels.

The proposals also included plans for electronic counting of postal votes, for extending the voting period (voting was to be permitted between 8.00 am on 15^th April and 9.00 pm on 1^st May for all channels), and for abandoning the traditional Declaration of Identity.

Shrewsbury and Atcham has 40 elected Councillors, representing 24 Wards. There are also 43 Parishes situated within the Borough. There were 13 Borough Wards and 19 Parishes up for re-election on 1^st May 2003. All the contested Wards had previously been contested in the May 2002 Elections, due to a boundary review in 2002 which resulted in all Wards being put up for election.

The principal objective from this Pilot for the Council was an increase in voter turnout, with a target of 50% reported. The Council was also keen, however, to gain experience in the operation of e-voting elections prior to any national implementation of such a scheme, and to be able to help influence any decisions taken by the Government in this regard.

The Electoral Commission's Pilot Scheme Evaluation Document on the Shrewsbury and Atcham E-Voting Pilot Scheme to the Deputy Prime Minister can be viewed here.

(Adobe Acrobat pdf format, 341kb)