8-12-03

Barrett welcomes Scottish postal vote decision

John Barrett, Scottish Liberal Democrat MP for Edinburgh West, today welcomed the report by the Electoral Commission which recommended against an all postal ballot in Scotland for next year’s European Parliamentary Elections.

The Electoral Commission has recommended that all postal ballots take place in the North East and East Midlands regions of England. Although they concluded that Scotland met many of the criteria for a pilot voting scheme the commission felt the near unanimous concerns of election administrators north of the border were enough to rule out such a proposal.

In a statement, John Barrett said:

"I am delighted that the Electoral Commission had decided against an all postal ballot in Scotland. I along with many others was deeply concerned about the potential for fraud and the lack of planning time available to iron out any possible problems. Disability organizations like SCOPE had also produced a report which dispelled the myth that postal ballots were particularly important for the elderly and disabled people. All in all this decision is a victory for common sense.

"It is now important that the government, local councils and others work together to ensure a good turnout in Edinburgh and throughout Scotland in the European elections in June.

"Voters must be made aware of the clear choices that face them and the importance of the European Parliament and their elected MEPS. People will vote if they believe they can make a difference."

ENDS