Record low turnout predicted as Kent votes for first directly-election police commissioner
Voters are going to the
polls across Kent today
by political editor Paul Francis
Voters are going to the polls today to decide who will be Kent's
first directly-elected police commissioner amid predictions of
a record low turnout.
It is feared fewer than one in five people will vote
because of a combination of low-profile election campaigns and
confusion among residents.
An estimated 1,000 polling stations across all 13 local
authority areas in the county will open from 7am to 10pm.
However, the votes will not be counted until Friday, with a
result expected later in the afternoon at Dover town hall.
Six candidates are in the running for the £85,000-a-year post,
which will see the commissioner replace the appointed Kent Police
Authority in what has been described as one of the most
far-reaching reforms of policing in a generation.
Candidates (clockwise
from top left) Steve Uncles, Harriet Yeo, Ann Barnes, Dai Liyange,
Piers Wauchope and Craig Mackinlay
Whoever wins stands to become one of the most important elected
officials in the county.
They will oversee the strategic direction of one of the
country's largest forces and have responsibility for a
£258million budget.
While the commissioner will not have day-to-day operational
control of the force, they will have extensive and far-reaching
powers - including setting the overall priorities for the police
and deciding how much council taxpayers should have to pay to meet
the force's running costs.
Keep up-to-date with the election count on
Friday with KentOnline and @PaulonPolitics on
Twitter.
14/11/12
- Click here for more news from across the county...