City launches voting hub in shopping centre

People living in Milton Keynes will be able to cast their vote in a shopping centre for the local elections.

Milton Keynes City Council is taking part in a government-funded trial and opening a polling station in Midsummer Place for the ballot on 7 May.

Election turnout has fallen over the last three elections in the city, with 30.3% of the electorate voting in the 2024 city council elections - which was the lowest in any election in Milton Keynes since 2019.

Returning officer Sharon Bridglalsingh said: "I hope that bringing the polling station to people where they shop, where they work, makes it more flexible and convenient for them to access polling stations."

This year's Milton Keynes City Council elections will see a 310 candidates contesting 60 seats across 21 wards, with every councillor up for election following the introduction of new ward boundaries.

As with all polling stations, eligible voters will need to bring photographic ID in order to receive a ballot paper and will be able to use the hub between 07:00 and 22:00 BST.

Bridglalsingh said: "This is about modernising the way we vote in this country and it is a real pleasure to be able to contribute to that.

"We will be feeding this back into the government and hopefully it will make a difference in encouraging more people to turn out."

The council said it has recruited and trained more than 700 staff and put digital systems in place in 133 polling stations.

Bridglalsingh added: "Polling station staff won't be using paper registers, they will be using electronic tablets to scan in your QR code on your poll card."

"Once you've done that, it'll be quicker than you've experienced with the paper registers," she said.

The system is connected to ensure voting records were updated in real time, so each voter can only vote once.

The authority said it has been working with local groups to support voters with impairments or learning difficulties and hubs would be equipped with assistive devices that can read ballot paper information aloud through headphones.

Other trials designed to modernise the voting system are also taking place during elections in Cambridge and North Hertfordshire.

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