EVALUATION OF THE COLINTON ALL POSTAL VOTE BY-ELECTION PILOT SCHEME

APPENDIX A: MARKED-UP QUESTIONNAIRE

COLINTON BY-ELECTION: FINAL TOPLINE

Results are based on a survey of 500 Colinton residents conducted by telephone, in home between 29 ^th October and 2 ^nd November 2004.
An asterix (*) indicates a percentage of less that 0.5% but greater than zero. Where percentages do not add up to 100, this may be due to computer rounding, multiple responses, or the exclusion of don't know categories.
All figures are percentages based on the total sample (500) unless otherwise stated.

ASK ALL - NAMED INDIVIDUAL FROM SAMPLE AGE 18+

Q1 Were you aware that there was a council by-election in Colinton on Thursday (28 October), or not?

	%
Yes, aware	98
No, not aware	2
Don't remember	-

ASK Q2 IF AWARE OF BY-ELECTION (OTHERS GO TO Q5)

Q2 The by-election used a system of postal voting only. Were you aware of this or not?

	%
Yes	97
No	3
Don't remember	-

Base: All who are aware of by-election (491)

Q3 You should have received your voting papers in the post several days before the election date. From what you remember, when did your voting papers arrive in the post?

	%
On Saturday 16 Oct	6
On Monday 18 Oct	12
On Tuesday 19 Oct	14
On Weds 20 Oct	11
On Thurs 21 Oct	9
On Friday 22 Oct	3
On Sat 23 Oct	3
After Sat 23 Oct	3
Don't know, can't remember	37
Voting papers did not arrive	*

Base: All who are aware of by-election (491)

Q4 What sources of information, if any, did you find helpful in explaining how to cast your vote in the by-election in Colinton?
PROBE: What others?

	%
Information with my ballot paper	75
At Edinburgh City Council offices	*
Via the Council's website	-
From friends and relatives	2
From other information sent by the Council	2
In articles in the Evening News	1
Advertisements in the Evening News	1
On T.V.	-
On local radio	1
From the political parties/candidates	9
Didn't get any helpful information	4
Other	9
Don't know	4

Base: All who are aware of by-election (491)

ASK ALL

Q5 Some people don't manage to vote in elections. Generally speaking, how often do you vote? Would you say you never vote, often don't vote, normally do vote, or always vote in . . .

General elections

	%
Always do	83
Normally do	13
Often don't	1
Never	2

Scottish Parliament elections

	%
Always do	68
Normally do	20
Often don't	4
Never	8

European Parliament elections

	%
Always do	56
Normally do	20
Often don't	9
Never	14

Council elections

	%
Always do	66
Normally do	24
Often don't	7
Never	4

ASK ALL AWARE OF BY-ELECTION (CODE 1 AT Q1) OTHERS GO TO Q14

Q6 Did you cast your vote in the recent by-election in Colinton, or not?

	%
Yes	85
No	15
Don't remember	-

Base: All residents (500)

IF DID NOT VOTE (CODE 2 AT Q6) OTHERS GO TO Q8

Q7 People have given many different reasons for not voting in the by-election. How about you, why didn't you vote? Anything else?

	%
I am not registered to vote	-
I was away during the by-election period	3
I didn't receive a postal vote	-
I am not eligible to vote	-
I really intended to vote but circumstances prevented me	5
There was no point in voting because all the parties are the same	5
There was no point in voting because it was obvious who would win	-
There was no point in voting because the local Council can't do very much/can't change anything	5
I'm just not interested in politics	8
You just can't trust politicians to keep their promises	8
I didn't know what the issues are	5
I couldn't decide who to vote for	2
I didn't know there was a by-election	3
I wanted to vote in the traditional way by
going to a polling station	2
I didn't know how to vote	-
I forgot	27
I just don't care about the local Council	5
I haven't had any information from the candidates	3
(Other)	48
(None of these)	2

Base: ASK ALL AWARE OF BY-ELECTION (CODE 1 AT Q1) OTHERS GO TO Q14All who did not vote (66)

Q8 The Council offered help people who may not be familiar with postal voting. For each of the following, can you tell me first, were you aware that it was available .

An official home visit, to help you complete your ballot paper

	%
Yes, aware	46
No, not aware	53
Don't know	1

A telephone helpline to answer queries

	%
Yes, aware	68
No, not aware	31
Don't know	1

Assistance and delivery points in Colinton where you could return your completed ballot paper in person

	%
Yes, aware	80
No, not aware	19
Don't know	1

Base: All who are aware of by-election (491)

ASK ALL AWARE OF EACH ONE (CODE 1 AT EACH ITEM) OTHERS GO TO SCREEN AT Q11

Q9 And did you use the
An official home visit, to help you complete your ballot paper

	%
Yes, used	-
No, did not use	100
Don't know	-

Base: All who are aware of official home visit (226)

A telephone helpline to answer queries

	%
Yes, used	-
No, did not use	100
Don't know	-

Base: All who are aware of the telephone helpline (335)

Assistance and delivery points in Colinton where you could return your completed ballot paper in person

	%
Yes, used	10
No, did not use	90
Don't know	-

Base: All who are aware of the assistance and delivery points (395)

FOR EACH SERVICE USED

Q10 And to what extent did you find the assistance and delivery point helpful?

	%
Very helpful	60
Fairly helpful	28
Not particularly helpful	5
Not helpful at all	8
Don't know	-

Base: All who used an assistance and delivery point (40)

ASK ALL WHO VOTED CODE 1 AT Q6 (OTHERS GO TO Q14)

Q11 How did you return your ballot paper?

	%
By post	89
In a ballot box at Safeways Supermarket, Hunters Tryst	3
In a ballot box at Colinton Library	8
In a ballot box at Reception, City Chambers	1
Don't know	*

Base: All who voted (425)

ASK IF DID VOTE (CODE 1 AT Q6)

Q12 And how would you rate your overall experience of voting by post in this council by-election?

	%
Very good	61
Fairly good	25
Neither good nor poor	7
Fairly poor	3
Very poor	4

Base: All who voted (425)

ASK THOSE WHO VOTED BY POST (CODE 1 AT Q11) AND WERE NOT AWARE OF THE OPTION TO HAND DELIVER (OPTION 3 AT Q8)

Q13 If you had been aware that you could hand deliver your ballot paper to a local delivery point, would you prefer to have done so?

	%
Yes, would have preferred to have delivered
by hand	9
No, happy to post	77
No preference	13
Don't know	2

Base: All who voted by post and were not aware of the option to hand deliver (56)

ASK ALL

Q14 Thinking about the method of voting by post, from your experience, or from what you have heard, how would you rate voting by post? Would you say it is

Easy or difficult to use? PROBE: Is that very/fairly . . .

	%
Very easy	64
Fairly easy	30
Fairly difficult	4
Very difficult	1

b) Convenient or inconvenient? PROBE: Is that very/fairly . . .

	%
Very convenient	69
Fairly convenient	26
Fairly inconvenient	4
Very inconvenient	1

c) Reliable or unreliable? PROBE: Is that very/fairly . . .

	%
Very reliable	33
Fairly reliable	47
Fairly unreliable	13
Very unreliable	7

d) Safe from fraud and abuse, or open to it? PROBE: Is that very/fairly .

	%
Very safe	11
Fairly safe	39
Fairly unsafe	37
Very unsafe	13

ASK Q15 IF 'OPEN TO' FRAUD OR ABUSE (CODES 3 &4 AT Q14 PART d)

Q15 Do you say that it is open to fraud and abuse because of some personal experience you had, because of the experience of someone you know, or because of concerns that you read or heard about in the media?

	%
Personal experience	4
Experience of someone else	3
Concerns read or heard in media	50
Just my opinion/The way I feel/Think it is	20
Post Office/Royal Mail unreliable/untrustworthy	9
Lacks security/Anyone could get their hands on it	15
Other	4

Base: All who think voting by post is open to fraud and abuse (248)

ASK ALL

Q16 I'd like you to think back to other elections you may have voted in. What method, if any, did you use to vote in the . . .?

a) European Election in June 2003

	%
RESPONSE CATEGORIES
Voted at a polling station	70
Voted by postal vote	5
Voted by proxy	*
Voted, but can't remember what method	4
Did not vote	20

b) Scottish Parliament Election and Local Government Election in May 2003

	%
RESPONSE CATEGORIES
Voted at a polling station	79
Voted by postal vote	5
Voted by proxy	1
Voted, but can't remember what method	3
Did not vote	12

c) The General Election in June 2001

	%
RESPONSE CATEGORIES
Voted at a polling station	90
Voted by postal vote	2
Voted by proxy	*
Voted, but can't remember what method	2
Did not vote	5

Q17 To what extent would you support or oppose the use of postal only ballots for future elections? PROBE: Is that strongly or tend to support/oppose?

	%
Strongly support	27
Tend to support	24
Neither support nor oppose	17
Tend to oppose	14
Strongly oppose	17
Don't know	1

Thank you. Finally I would just like to ask you a few short questions about yourself so we can be sure we have interviewed a good cross-section of residents.

Q How old are you?

	%
18-24	3
25-34	4
35-44	20
45-54	24
55-59	12
60-64	8
65+	28
Refused	1

Q Gender

	%
Male	45
Female	55

Q Work status

	%
Working 30 hours or more a week (full-time)	41
Working 8-29 hours a week (part-time)	15
Not working - housewife	6
Not working - unemployed (registered)	1
Not working - unemployed (not registered butlooking for work)	*
Not working - retired	35
Not working - student	2
Not working - other	1

Q How many adults (aged 18+) are there in your household, including yourself?

1	2	3	4	5+
%	%	%	%	%
14	67	13	5	1

Q And how many children or young people (under 18) there are in your household?

0	1	2	3	4	5+
%	%	%	%	%	%
66	13	17	4	1	-

Q In total, how long have you lived in Colinton?

	%
Less than one year	-
1-2 years	3
Over 2-5 years	11
Over 5-10 years	13
Over 10-20 years	28
Over 20 years	45

Q Do you own your home or do you rent it? IF RENT, Do you rent from the Council, from a Housing Association, or from a Private Landlord?

	%
Own outright/buying on mortgage	94
Rent from City of Edinburgh Council	*
Rent from other housing association/
housing co-operative	2
Rent from private landlord	1
Shared ownership	-
Other	3

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EVALUATION OF THE COLINTON ALL POSTAL VOTE BY-ELECTION PILOT SCHEME

APPENDIX A: MARKED-UP QUESTIONNAIRE