Here we explain why the total number of votes received by candidates in the recent Police and Crime Commissioner election appear higher than the total electorate.

As there are more than two candidates in the Police and Crime Commissioner election, the supplementary vote system is used.

What this means is voters can state their first and second choice for the role on the ballots.

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So while the total number of votes for the PCC elections in Swindon and Wiltshire is 212,178 not counting the spoiled ballots – it effectively means that 424,356 votes were cast by the electorate.

In the first count for the PCC elections only the first choices are taken into account and if a candidate gets less than 50 per cent of the total vote then second choices are counted for the two highest polled hopefuls.

On Monday (May 10) the results of the first preference votes were:

  • Junab Ali (Labour): 34147
  • Julian Malins (Reform UK): 4348
  • Brig Oubridge (Green): 16606
  • Mike Rees (Independent): 31722
  • Jonathon Seed (Conservative): 84885
  • Liz Webster (Liberal Democrats): 35013

As the Conservative Jonathon Seed failed to get 50 percent of the vote it meant that second preference choices for him and Liz Webster of the Liberal Democrats were then counted.

The winner was then declared with the combined total first and second preference votes.

The combined total of valid first and second preference votes cast for the remaining candidates were:

  • Jonathon Seed (Conservative): 100,003
  • Liz Webster (Liberal Democrats): 58,074

These totals discount any spoiled ballots received from the electorate.