FOI Disclosure Log
Customer Request Details
19 May 2021
Please provide full details of your request (e.g. Please provide details of the number of burials paid for by the council each year between 2001 and 2012)
How many staff did the council have in employment exclusively to work in the elections services team at each of the following elections?
1. General Election 2015
2. General Election 2017
3. General Election 2019
4. May 2021 round of elections
What was the total budget for the electoral services team in each of the following years?
1. 2016
2. 2017
3. 2018
4. 2019
5. 2020
6. 2021
Could you please provide me with the estimated or actual amount of money spent by the local authority on each of the following items when administering the a) General Election 2015 b) General Election 2017 c) General Election 2019 d) May 2021 elections?
1. Printing of Postal Votes
2. Distribution of Postal Votes
3. Staff time for manning polling stations including "Covid Ambassadors/Information
Officers" to welcome voters
4. Hiring Polling Station Venues
5. Hiring of Count Venues
6. Additional infrastructure to ensure the process was COVID "secure" (eg individual
pencils, Perspex screens, hand sanitiser)
How many Presiding Officers worked on each of the following elections in your council area?
1. General Election 2015
2. General Election 2017
3. General Election 2019
4. May 2021 round of elections
How many Polling Clerks worked on each of the following elections in your council area?
1. General Election 2015
2. General Election 2017
3. General Election 2019
4. May 2021 round of elections
How much money was spent on training Presiding Officers and Polling Clerks at each of the following elections?
1. General Election 2015
2. General Election 2017
3. General Election 2019
4. May 2021 round of elections
How many "tendered" ballot papers were issued in your council area for each of the following elections?
1. General Election 2015
2. General Election 2017
3. General Election 2019
4. May 2021 round of elections
Were all candidates/parties that were properly nominated on the final ballot paper given to voters at the May 2021 round of elections?
East Herts Council Response
17 June 2021
Thank you for your request for information, this has now been processed and the information that we hold is enclosed.
Please tell us the general subject of your request (e.g. Burials paid for by the council)
Elections & funding
Please provide full details of your request (e.g. Please provide details of the number of burials paid for by the council each year between 2001 and 2012)
How many staff did the council have in employment exclusively to work in the elections services team at each of the following elections?
1. General Election 2015 – Unknown: due to our retention policy we no longer hold data for this election.
2. General Election 2017 – 5 including 1 part-timer
3. General Election 2019 - 4
4. May 2021 round of elections – 9 including 2 part-timers
What was the total budget for the electoral services team in each of the following years?
2016/2017
£117,650
3.61 FTE
2017/2018
£119,820
3.35 FTE
2018/2019
£144,920
4.41 FTE
2019/2020
£152,710
4.41 FTE
2020/2021
£160,430
4.41 FTE
2021/2022
£166,720
4.41 FTE
Could you please provide me with the estimated or actual amount of money spent by the local authority on each of the following items when administering the a) General Election 2015 b) General Election 2017 c) General Election 2019 d) May 2021 elections? – The amount spent by the local authority on each of the General Elections is Zero as the costs of Parliamentary General Elections are reclaimed from the UK Government. The amount spent on the May 2021 elections is currently not available as the accounts have not yet been submitted.
1. Printing of Postal Votes
2. Distribution of Postal Votes
3. Staff time for manning polling stations including "Covid Ambassadors/Information
Officers" to welcome voters
4. Hiring Polling Station Venues
5. Hiring of Count Venues
6. Additional infrastructure to ensure the process was COVID "secure" (eg individual
pencils, Perspex screens, hand sanitiser)
How many Presiding Officers worked on each of the following elections in your council area?
1. General Election 2015 – Unknown: due to our retention policy we no longer hold data for this election.
2. General Election 2017 – 68 (Hertford & Stortford Constituency only)
3. General Election 2019 – 69 (Hertford & Stortford Constituency only)
4. May 2021 round of elections -98
How many Polling Clerks worked on each of the following elections in your council area?
1. General Election 2015 - Unknown due to our retention policy we no longer hold data for this election.
2. General Election 2017 – 111 (Hertford & Stortford Constituency only)
3. General Election 2019 – 108 (Hertford & Stortford Constituency only)
4. May 2021 round of elections – 238 (extra staff were allocated to many polling stations to help manage COVID-19 health and safety measures)
How much money was spent on training Presiding Officers and Polling Clerks at each of the following elections?
1. General Election 2015 – Unknown: due to our retention policy we no longer hold data for this election.
2. General Election 2017 – £2074.20 (Hertford & Stortford Constituency only)
3. General Election 2019 – £4100.52 (Hertford & Stortford Constituency only)
4. May 2021 round of elections - The amount spent on the May 2021 elections is currently not available as the accounts have not yet been submitted.
How many "tendered" ballot papers were issued in your council area for each of the following elections?
In line with Rule 57, Schedule 1, Representation of the People Act 1983, the RO is only required to retain election documents (such as the tendered votes list) for one year before securely disposing of them. As a result, we are no longer in possession of the requested information for previous UK Parliamentary elections.
1. General Election 2015
2. General Election 2017
3. General Election 2019
4. May 2021 round of elections – None
Were all candidates/parties that were properly nominated on the final ballot paper given to voters at the May 2021 round of elections? – Yes
If you have any queries or complaint about the processing of your request please do not hesitate to contact me.
For re-use of information and conditions on the use of personal data please see
https://www.eastherts.gov.uk/about-east-herts-0/information-requests/re-use-council-information
Alternatively for more information on the Freedom of Information Act contact the Information Commissioner at:
Information Commissioners Office
Wycliffe House
Water Lane
Wilmslow
Cheshire
SK9 5AF
Telephone 0303 123 1113
https://ico.org.uk/
It is important that you include the above FOI reference number on all correspondence related to this request.
Thank you for your request.