May 6th 2021 saw the most complex set of elections for a generation, following the postponement of the Elections of May 2020.
Running polls during an ongoing pandemic was another complicating factor, with previously used polling stations, schools pubs and clubs, no longer being available to serve as polling stations.
MPS was under no illusion that Electoral Administrators were having an exceptionally challenging time, both with the length of the electoral timetable and all the other complicating factors.
Our election clients trusted us with poll cards, ballot papers, postal vote statements and some used MPS for the Postal Vote Issue itself. For our Welsh clients, there was the complication of two franchises for the Senedd (Welsh Parliament) Elections as well as the postponed PCC Election, and all taking place under the cloud of a worldwide pandemic.
MPS worked hard to set-up an environment which was safe for staff and visiting clients for the May 6th Elections. We printed 4 Million+ poll cards, 3 million+ ballot papers and we personalised and enclosed 300,000 + postal vote
statements.
Automation, a modern kit and facility meant that we delivered most election print early and we had capacity for any lastminute requests for other election materials, such as polling station notices and large ballot papers. For our English clients, there was the PCC Election as well as local elections to consider and this made exact planning and capacity
forecasting all the more necessary.
We extend a BIG thank you to all our Election Clients, for the patience and trust that you put in us under these most demanding circumstances. Thank you; we really mean it.
The AEA (Association of Electoral Administrators) has published a 2021 Post Polls Review, highlighting the difficulties of the May 6th election, its complexity and how Covid affected the Polls.