00:00You might be thinking of taking time off work to vote in the upcoming local elections, but
00:06Tunbridge Wells Borough Council are trying a new way, by asking people to give up a fraction
00:11of their weekend.
00:13The government's keen to explore how we can improve the voter experience, how we can increase
00:17turnout, so our pilot is going to be enabling voters to vote early. It's quite unusual
00:23for government to change the way in which we vote. I think this is a really interesting
00:28opportunity and we're really excited to see what happens.
00:31This means that on Saturday the 2nd or Sunday the 3rd of May, you can go along to the Royal
00:36Victoria Shopping Centre and cast your vote early. It's meant to be an initiative to try
00:42boost turnout in local elections, especially for those who can't make the usual polling
00:46day, but the real question is, what do people actually think?
00:50I like to go and post in person, but postal votes, if it's easier for you, yes.
00:58If that allows more people to engage, happy days, that's a good thing.
01:03Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is one of four councils granted government funding to see
01:09if opening the door so the ballot box early might get more people voting.
01:14Turnout for local elections is historically low, with just 34% of legible voters participating
01:21in county council elections last year. The Electoral Commission found that 19% of those who don't
01:29vote cite they were too busy or at work, and 11% explaining they were away.
01:35In Tunbridge Wells it will be in the RVP, so in the shopping centre, so you go shopping,
01:39you can cast your ballot. That's fantastic. What that means is that a higher percentage of
01:43people are going to vote, more people have their say, and ultimately we get better politicians,
01:48and we get better local government because of that. To me actually, I think there's a really
01:52big deal about election day, is that you know that you go out and vote on that day, and clearly
01:57if you know you're not going to be there for that election, you can arrange for yourself
02:01to have a postal vote or a proxy vote. So I don't know, I do like the big moment on
02:05election
02:05day when the day has come. But come May, will an early ballot check the box for those unable
02:11to attend on the day? Or will it be neglected for the reliable postal or proxy vote, which
02:17aren't going anywhere? Megan Shaw in Tunbridge Wells
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