Polling station petition victory for Seymour Hill

The petition was launched by Lagan Valley MLA Jonathan Craig, as well as Councillors Margaret Tolerton and Scott Carson, and community representatives, who are pleased their campaign has paid off.

The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland had proposed amendments to several polling station, one being the proposal to amalgamate Lambeg Parish Church Hall and Seymour Hill Primary Polling stations into one.

The new proposals are for all of Seymour Hill and Conway area to now vote at one location, Kilmakee Activity Centre.

“At the last election residents from the Seymour Hill and Conway had the prospect of voting in Lambeg Parish Church Hall or Seymour Hill Primary School, depending in which part of the estate they live in,” explained MLA Jonathan Craig.

“This ludicrous position from the Electoral Office saw some residents driving by their local polling station and being made to cast their vote in a polling station that is not even in their area.”

“In the 2014 Council Elections all the residents of Seymour Hill and Conway voted in their local primary school and we thought finally, common sense had prevailed, but at this year’s Westminster election, the electoral office once again made half the people of Seymour Hill and Conway vote in one polling station and the rest vote in another polling station.

“As a result of the growing concern from local residents and Seymour Hill and Conway Community Association, we received a petition of just under 800 people from the local area who supported our call for this issue to be address.

“I would now like to welcome the proposed amendment by the Electoral office because of road and disabled issues that Kilmakee Activity Centre is now the proposed new polling station for the area.”

The Chairman of Seymour Hill and Conway Community Association, Mr Billy Smith added: “As a Community Association we would like to thank our local MLA Jonathan Craig and Councillors Margaret Tolerton, Scott Carson and all the residents of the area, for the time and effort and seeing this wait of public opinion was listen to and common-sense prevailed.”

Any comments regarding the Electoral Office proposed changes to the polling station should be received no later than Tuesday September 22, 2015 by the Electoral Office.