Conservative candidate Katy Bourne has been re-elected as the police and crime commissioner (PCC) for Sussex.
It was the third time that Mrs Bourne has topped the poll, having held the post since it was created to replace police authorities in 2012.
She was re-elected four years later in 2016. And she was due to stand for re-election last year.
But instead, she served an extra year before the election last Thursday (6 May) because the election scheduled for last year was postponed in response to the coronavirus pandemic.
Her main challenge came from the Labour and Co-operative Party candidate Paul Richards, who topped the poll in Brighton and Hove.
Mr Richards polled almost 1,000 more first preference votes than Mrs Bourne in Brighton and Hove, with the Green candidate Kahina Bouhassane coming a close third.
But because Mrs Bourne did not have a majority of first preference votes, second preference votes were counted for the top two candidates – Mrs Bourne and Mr Richards.
After the second preference votes were counted, the result was …
- Katy Bourne 244,810 (including 30,287 second preferences)
- Paul Richards 128,259 (including 43,523 second preferences)
…
The number of first preference votes cast across Sussex was …
- Katy Bourne (Conservative) 214,523 (47.25 per cent)
- Paul Richards (Labour) 84,736
- Jamie Bennett (Liberal Democrat) 63,271
- Kahina Bouhassane (Green) 60,781
- Roy Williams (Independent) 30,408
…
There were 10,782 ballot papers rejected in the first round and 11,331 in the second round.
The turnout was 35.77 per cent up from 22.54 per cent in 2016 and 15.82 per cent in November 2012.
The number of first preference votes cast in Brighton and Hove was …
- Paul Adrian Richards (Labour) 17,513
- Katy Elizabeth Bourne (Conservative) 16,515
- Kahina Suzanna Bouhassane (Green) 16,466
- Roy Thomas Williams (Independent) 2,796
- Jamie Frank Bennett (Liberal Democrat) 2,693
…
The total number of votes cast was 56,808 voted, with 829 ballots rejected.
The second preference votes cast for the top two candidates in Brighton and Hove were
Paul Richards (Labour) 12,211
Katy Bourne (Conservative) 1,910
In general, and in Hove and Brighton, there appear to be more spoilt ballots than usual. It will be interesting to hear what these said. These are always the Carry On Returning Officer part of the Count.
As for Hove and Brighton, these voting figures – along with the Local by-elections last week – suggest interesting tussles in two years’ time.