Staff of the Japan Local Government Centre visited Spelthorne Borough Council in Surrey yesterday. The staff were invited by the council to observe the running of the general election for the constituency and were able to gain insights into the administration of elections in the UK.
Guided by 2008 Japan Study Tour participant Michael Graham, the Head of Corporate Governance, they visited a polling station to observe the local residents voting and the electoral process in action. The group then visited a counting station where they saw the preparation of votes to be counted later that evening. They also recieved an explanation of the election from the Chief Executive of Spelthorne Borough Council, Roberto Tambini.
The Guardian reports that turnout at the polls in Spelthorne was 67.1% and resulted in the Conservative candidate holding the seat wth 47.1% of the vote.
