File photo dated 06/05/10 of the polling station at Market Hall in Swadlincote, Derbyshire. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Sunday March 22, 2015. It may be a plain black box but it holds the nation's future. And it symbolises a key principle of our democracy - that the vote should be secret. Other nations, including some in the third world, have introduced new technology to their democratic systems in the form of voting machines. But, despite some trials in contests for councils and devolved assemblies, the mechanics of Britain's General Election polling system is little changed from more than 140 years ago when the secret ballot came in. The price of sticking to tradition is that while other states know who has won the election within minutes of close of poll, we sometimes have to wait until well into the next day - or later. Ballot boxes were introduced in 1872, five years after the second "leap in the dark" Reform Act extended the vote to large numbers of working class people. Previously balloting was open, allowing those at the hustings to see how anyone voted. As there were far fewer electors than at present, it offered easy opportunities for intimidation from heavies employed by candidates. It is not known whether some of the boxes introduced in 1872 are still in use. However the traditional black metal container now has a rival in a grey plastic version which has the advantage of being much lighter to carry from the polling station to the counting centre. See PA story POLITICS Election Box. Photo credit should read: Rui Vieira/PA Wire
A summary of the expenses that each of the 12 candidates spent on their elections campaigns, has revealed in total £7792.38 was incurred by them in the Ballymoney DEA.
The candidate who spent the least was David Hanna for UKIP with £306.30, while the most was spent by Independent Ian Stevenson. Both candidates failed to win a seat.
The following is a summary of the candidates expenses for the Ballymoney DEA:
Blair, William
TUV
606.55
Finlay, John
DUP
850.2
Hanna, David
UKIP
306.3
McCully, Peter
ALLIANCE
323.92
McKoewn, Tom
UUP
629.52
McLaughlin, Cathal
SF
388.51
McLean, Alan
DUP
816
Peacock, Leanne
SF
709.23
Stevenson, Ian
IND
1227
Wallace, Ivor
DUP
746.6
Wilson, Darryl
UUP
639
Wilson, John
TUV
549.55
Elsewhere, the summary document reveals that there was only one candidate who submitted a NIL RETURN, and that was the Greens, Mark Coulson.
Overall the total spend by all the candidates during the council elections May for the whole of the Causeway Coast & Glens area was, £51,127.36.
