§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what plans he has to make an assessment of the procedures for obtaining postal votes in Northern Ireland; and how many(a) people applied 329W for a postal vote in each Northern Ireland constituency and (b) postal votes were issued for the Assembly election on 26 November. [142656]
§ Mr. SpellarThe Electoral Commission, which has statutory responsibility for reporting on the conduct of elections, will issue a report on the recent Assembly elections in the spring. This will include an assessment of the procedures for obtaining postal votes.
It is not possible at this stage to provide information on how many people applied for postal votes in each Northern Ireland constituency. I will ask the Chief Electoral Officer to write to the hon. Member. However, statistics (including postal proxies) on the issuing of postal votes are as follows:
Constituency Total number of Absent vote issues Belfast, East 502 Belfast, North 620 Belfast, South 573 Belfast, West 543 East Antrim 477 E. Londonderry 1,427 Fermanagh & South Tyrone 4,327 Foyle 1,434 Lagan Valley 1,022 Mid-Ulster 2,814 Newry & Armagh 1,863 North Antrim 1,061 North Down 563 South Antrim 557 South Down 1,701 Strangford 709 Upper Bann 1,118 West Tyrone 2,942 Total 24,253
§ Lady HermonTo ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many eligible voters in each Northern Ireland constituency were turned away from polling stations in Northern Ireland on 26 November for not having correct identification for the Assembly election. [142661]
§ Mr. SpellarThe type of identification brought by voters was recorded for approximately 92 per cent. of all voters at the Assembly election on 26 November. Particularly during the busiest times of polling day not all information on identification was recorded.
Approximately 3,493 electors were recorded as having brought the wrong identification documents or no identification whatsoever. However, there is evidence that some of these returned before the close of poll with an alternative, correct form of ID and were able to cast their vote at that time.
The totals recorded are as follows:
330W
Constituency Total number of voters with wrong or no identification Belfast, East 128 Belfast, North 148 Belfast, South 139 Belfast, West 246 East Antrim 145 E. Londonderry 133 Fermanagh & South Tyrone 254
Constituency Total number of votes with wrong or no identification Foyle 211 Lagan Valley 153 Mid-Ulster 266 Newry & Armagh 304 North Antrim 240 North Down 125 South Antrim 161 South Down 192 Strangford 158 Upper Bann 247 West Tyrone 243