Bewildering ballot

Published Tuesday 14 October 2008 at 11:35

The Equity Council election confirmed almost unbelievable results that require reliable explanation (News, October 9, front page).

Of the ballot papers, 36677 were distributed, yet, according to Equity’s own statistics during the election period, on June 26 the union is shown to have only 35786 members in benefit. Where and to whom did the other 881 ballot papers go to?

The statistics show there to have been 1669 members not in benefit at the time, but not even Equity with a penchant for fudges could not possibly have let ERS have details of out of benefit members, could it?

The elections results too require reliable explanation, after indicating that Equity members rank highly among citizens unable to complete a ballot paper without having it rejected as unacceptable in some way.

Little more than 8% of Equity members bothered to vote to elect a President, and 6% (177) of the 2999 papers returned were rejected, making it less than 7% that selected the successful candidate.

Less than 8% (3218) of Equity members apparently considered a new council worth voting for and while that perhaps demonstrates appalling apathy, the numbers of unacceptable papers returned in some of the specialist sections are truly amazing.

Of the 3218 papers returned, in some sections 36%, 37% and 40% were unacceptable.

These are worrying figures and an explanation is needed into how it is that more than 1000 members in many cases managed not to return acceptable voting papers to the election organisers.

Would The Stage supervise a reliable investigation of the election result papers to provide necessary answers?

Roy Radford

South Zeal

Okehampton

Devon