Crawley residents urged to register for a postal vote in May’s council elections

Concerns have been raised that there will not be enough time to allow everyone to vote in person while maintaining Covid safety measures.

At a meeting of the full council, mayor Francis Guidera said: “We need to encourage people to sign up for postal voting and make them aware that that could be the only way they’ll get to vote if there are queues at polling stations.

“It’s the safest way that they can vote and the best way they can ensure their voice is heard on election day.”

The council has taken the decision to cut the number of polling stations from 27 to 22 for one year only, as some of them simply could not be made Covid safe.

Those at The Mill Primary, The Brook School, and Forge Wood Primary – along with Broadfield Scout Hut, Grattons Bowls Club and Creasys Drive Adventure Playground – have been taken off the list and voting moved to community centres.

On top of this, a number of staff have informed the council that they do not want to be involved this year, leading to a shortfall of experienced presiding officers.

Leader Peter Lamb was one of several councillors who would prefer to see the election delayed for a few months.

He told the meeting it would be ‘impossible for the vast majority of electors to cast their vote’ given the current restrictions and predicted ‘uproar’ once the elections were over.

Mr Lamb added: “For us as a council to be reducing polling stations means that we know we’re cutting more people out of having that opportunity to vote.

“And that’s something that I can’t justify.”

His opposite number, Duncan Crow, recognised that the temporary change was not something the council would ideally want to make but added: “In reality, a lot of compromises are going to have to be made in order to deliver these elections safely for everybody involved.”

The vote on whether to make the change was tied, with Mr Guidera using his casting vote to tip it in favour.

Details about the elections and how to register for a postal vote can be found on the council’s website crawley.gov.uk in the ‘democracy’ section.