§ Ms CoffeyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what pilot schemes of innovative electoral procedures he has approved for the May local elections. [115903]
§ Mr. Mike O'BrienI am making orders to enable the following pilot schemes to take place at this May's local elections:
- Amber Valley—extension of entitlement to postal vote
- Blackburn with Darwen—early voting
- Blackpool—early voting
- Bolton—all postal ballot
- Broxbourne—electronic counting
485W - Chester—early voting
- Coventry—early voting
- Doncaster—all postal ballot
- Eastleigh—extension of entitlement to postal vote
- Gateshead—all postal ballot
- Gloucester—extension of entitlement to postal vote
- Kingston upon Hull—early voting
- Knowsley—early voting
- Leeds—extended hours of poll
- Manchester—early voting
- Milton Keynes—extension of entitlement to postal vote
- Mole Valley—extended hours of poll
- Plymouth—early voting
- Redditch—early voting
- St. Helens—early voting
- Stevenage—all postal ballot
- Stoke-on-Trent—early voting
- Sunderland—early voting and mobile voting
- Swindon—all postal ballot
- Wigan—all postal ballot
- Windsor and Maidenhead—mobile early voting facility.
In addition, I hope to be able to make orders in relation to the following schemes very shortly:
- Bury—electronic voting and counting
- Norwich—all postal ballot, mobile polling facility and early voting
- Salford—electronic voting and counting
- Stratford—electronic voting and counting
- Three Rivers—electronic counting
- Watford—mobile polling facility, early voting, weekend voting and freepost facility.