Polling day chaos in Britain as people lose chance to vote
Saturday, 8 May 2010
LONDON, May 7 (AFP): Britain's election watchdog launched an investigation Friday after queues of angry would-be voters were blocked from casting their ballots before polls closed in cliffhanger elections.
There were chaotic scenes at polling stations across the country Thursday as people waited for hours but were still not in time to cast their ballots before the 10:00 pm (2100 GMT) voting deadline.
Election officials appeared ill-prepared for large numbers of people -- early figures pointed to a higher turnout than normal -- and were caught off guard by a surge of voters in the final hours of polling.
Police were called in to control an unruly crowd who missed out on voting at one polling station in Sheffield, northern England, where a group of irate students protested by attempting to stop ballot boxes being taken away.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, a member of parliament from the city, said he shared the 'bitter dismay' of many of his constituents who could not vote.
"I visited the busiest polling station this afternoon, and in mid-afternoon there were hundreds - particularly of young voters -- who were queuing for an hour and a half to vote, and I think it is just not right that hundreds later found themselves unable to exercise their right when the polls closed.
"That should never, ever happen again in our democracy," he said in his acceptance speech after being voted back into his Sheffield Hallam constituency.
Would-be voters in London staged a sit-in after they queued up but were too late to cast their ballots, while some polling stations had to close briefly after running out of ballot papers.
"Around about 9:20 pm, 9:30 pm, that was my last try," said Lucinda Cox, after she failed to cast her vote in Birmingham, central England.
There were reports of people being unable to vote in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.
The Electoral Commission watchdog said it was starting an investigation and pledged to undertake "a thorough review of what has happened in those constituencies where people have been unable to vote."
There were chaotic scenes at polling stations across the country Thursday as people waited for hours but were still not in time to cast their ballots before the 10:00 pm (2100 GMT) voting deadline.
Election officials appeared ill-prepared for large numbers of people -- early figures pointed to a higher turnout than normal -- and were caught off guard by a surge of voters in the final hours of polling.
Police were called in to control an unruly crowd who missed out on voting at one polling station in Sheffield, northern England, where a group of irate students protested by attempting to stop ballot boxes being taken away.
Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg, a member of parliament from the city, said he shared the 'bitter dismay' of many of his constituents who could not vote.
"I visited the busiest polling station this afternoon, and in mid-afternoon there were hundreds - particularly of young voters -- who were queuing for an hour and a half to vote, and I think it is just not right that hundreds later found themselves unable to exercise their right when the polls closed.
"That should never, ever happen again in our democracy," he said in his acceptance speech after being voted back into his Sheffield Hallam constituency.
Would-be voters in London staged a sit-in after they queued up but were too late to cast their ballots, while some polling stations had to close briefly after running out of ballot papers.
"Around about 9:20 pm, 9:30 pm, that was my last try," said Lucinda Cox, after she failed to cast her vote in Birmingham, central England.
There were reports of people being unable to vote in London, Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle.
The Electoral Commission watchdog said it was starting an investigation and pledged to undertake "a thorough review of what has happened in those constituencies where people have been unable to vote."