16% turnout for Wiltshire Police Crime Commissioner Elections

Voting for the PCC elections commenced yesterday with votes being counted through the night which found only 16% of Wiltshire voters turning in their ballot papers. 

People across Wiltshire were invited to vote who should be the Police and Crime Commissioner however the lack of turnout proved evident. 

@dangerbryans via Twitter said: "There was next to no canvassing or information about it."

@mjhudston also took to Twitter saying: "Turn out in Wiltshire for #pccelectionwilts is 15.83%- Not a mandate by the people in my view."

The independent candiate for the PCC elections, Colin Skelton said: "The turnout for the PCC election was appalling, I stated at husting that if I were elected on a turnout of 6 or 7% I would not consider that an electoral mandate. I stand by that view. However, the bigger issue is that by deliberate policy the government effectively disenfranchised 7 million voters, this is a national disgrace and heads need to roll."

Votes were counted which resulted in Conservative PCC Angus Macpherson elected as Police Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon. 

Wiltshire Chief Constable, Pat Geenty said: "I would like to congratulate Angus Macpherson as the first Police and Crime Commissioner for Wiltshire and Swindon."

"Wiltshire Police is an excellent Force with dedicated and hard-working officers and staff and a good history of performance showing a reduction in crime in overall crime over the last five years."

PCC Election results in Wiltshire 

Angus Macpherson (Conservative)- 35,319

Claire Moody (Labour)- 21,157

Colin Skelton (Independent)- 11,146

Paul Batcheltor (Liberal Democrats)- 10,130

John Short (UK Independent)- 7, 250

Liam Silcocks (Independent)- 5,212

What do you think about the 16% turnout of voters in Wiltshire for the PCC Elections? Have your say here!