The Chief Executive presented a report, to seek approval to participate in the Advanced Voting pilots allowing voting at the Local Elections in May 2022 in certain Polling Stations on the Tuesday and Wednesday before Polling Day on Thursday 5th May 2022.

Following consultation with group leaders, he advised that he had informed Welsh Government of Bridgend’s interest in establishing an advance voting pilot to open polling stations in specific wards on the Tuesday and Wednesday before polling day including a separate pilot within a school solely for eligible pupils in that school.

A decision was now required on whether Bridgend County Borough Council will now proceed with the advance voting pilot.

The wards chosen for the advance voting pilot are listed below, with their new names from May 2022, with the current wards shown in brackets: -

·         Brackla East and Coychurch Lower [Brackla, Coychurch Lower]

·         Brackla East Central [Brackla]                   

·         Brackla West [Brackla]

·         Brackla West Central [Brackla]

·         Cornelly [Cornelly]

·         Pyle, Kenfig Hill and Cefn Cribwr [Pyle, Cefn Cribwr]

·         St Bride’s Minor and Ynysawdre [Bryncethin, Bryncoch, Sarn and Ynysawdre]

The Chief Executive added that initial selection of the pilot wards was based on the turnout rates at the Local Elections in 2017, which identified 5 wards both ranked with the overall lowest turnout rates and the lowest turnout rates at polling stations. The table in paragraph 4.2 of the report showed the turnout and ranking.

He added that there were three additional wards from the Local Elections in 2017 that have been added to the pilot, due to the implementation of the Boundary Commission review which has combined them with existing wards identified for the pilot. These wards are Cefn Cribwr, Coychurch Lower and Ynysawdre.

Separately, because Cynffig Comprehensive school was a separate pilot within a school solely for eligible pupils in that school, the ward of Cornelly was added to the advanced voting pilot as the catchment area for Cynffig Comprehensive is almost entirely within the Pyle, Cefn Cribwr, and Cornelly boundaries and the majority of the pupils eligible to vote would be included.

The Chief Executive concluded his submission, by confirming that there will be 20 polling stations open from 7am to 9pm across the seven advanced pilot wards on the Tuesday and Wednesday, giving the electorate a choice of 3 days to cast their votes. In Cynffig Comprehensive, there would be 2 polling stations open on the Tuesday from 8.30am to 4.30pm solely for the purpose of the 16+ registered students. This will allow them to vote in an environment they are comfortable with and to encourage forming the habit of voting, although they could choose to vote in one of the pilot ward polling stations if they so wished.

The Leader welcomed the report and the Pilot and how the changes proposed would fit in with changes in society that have evolved over the years and that it was encouraging to see that 16 and 17 year old people would be able to vote in the Elections. He hoped the Pilot would encourage and increase voters.

RESOLVED:                             That Council approved participation in the Advance Voting pilot, as set out in the report.