THE polls closed for the 2021 Elections at 10pm across the country on Thursday evening (May 6) - and the first boxes with votes cast arrived at the Mid Devon District Council venue for verification and count within minutes!
The venue for the verification and count for the district is being held at the council’s Lords Meadow Leisure Centre in the town and the first boxes to arrive came from within Crediton.
The boxes from the polling station at Crediton United Football Club clubhouse, just 30 yards away were the first to arrive, having been walked across the car park to the leisure centre.
Mid Devon District Council staff transformed the sports hall at the leisure centre into a verification and counting station - everyone social distancing, wearing masks, behind screens, using hand gel and complying with Covid-19 regulations.
Staff said that it would take more than an hour for a number of the boxes to arrive from the furthest parts of the district council area, especially beyond Tiverton.
Mid Devon District Council staff will not be counting for the various elections during the night, that procedure will begin at 10am on Friday, May 7.
During the night the staff will be separating the voting papers and checking that the number of ballot papers in each box matches the number of ballot papers issued.
It is expected that staff will be working through the night to verify each box before beginning the count.
The counts for the various elections will be as follows: Devon County Council - Friday, May 7 from 10am; Mid Devon District Council (three by-elections) from 2pm; Police and Crime Commissioner - Monday, May 10 from 10am, Cullompton planning referendum - Monday, May 10 from 10am and Town/Parish (four by-elections) on Monday, May 10, from 12 noon.
The results will be given immediately after each of the counts has been completed.
Further updates as we have them.