Calls for polling cards in Wellingborough to be reinstated to prevent 'restriction of democratic rights'
A councillor has put forward a motion to reinstate polling cards for Wellingborough Town Council by-elections, believing them to be the key to a fair and democratic process.
Cllr Chris Ashton, who represents the Queensway ward in Wellingborough, will put forward the motion at a town council meeting today (January 14), two years after the original motion from Cllr Kelly Duddridge.
He said: “Unfortunately a price has been placed on residents’ democratic right to vote. It doesn’t matter who wins, but it does matter that everyone who can vote knows they can vote and choose to vote or abstain.
"The Labour group don’t want to take anything away from the winning candidate who won the election; they are just concerned that the people of Wellingborough may have their democratic rights restricted.
“Many residents were unaware of which polling station they could use which no election leaflet could have solved. We encourage the town council to support this motion and support residents’ democratic right to vote."
Labour won the Queensway by-election in November 2023 with 11.2 per cent turnout, and the by-election for the Croyland ward in June 2024 with an 11 per cent turnout.
After the Queensway by-election in 2023, the winning candidate Cllr Kelly Duddridge raised a motion to bring in polling cards, which was seconded by Cllr Tony Aslam, but rejected by the council in favour of a leaflet.
During the most recent by-election for the Brickhill and Queensway ward won by Gavin Beales, poll cards were not required, with leaflets posted to voters leading up to voting day on November 20.
Labour councillors’ new call for the town council to issue polling cards for residents during town council elections are to prevent people from being ‘restricted from being able to vote for who represents them’, with postal voters being the only voters to receive a non-political warning that the election is ongoing. Within the 9.5 per cent turnout for the most recent Brickhill and Queensway by-election, around 75 per cent were sent via post.
The full council meeting will take place this evening at Swanspool Pavilion from 7pm. The public is welcome to attend.