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Phone and online voting options to be available in referendum on future of Union Terrace Gardens

Details of how to vote online and by phone in the forthcoming referendum for the proposed development of Aberdeen’s Union Terrace Gardens have been confirmed by independent Counting Officer Crawford Langley.

Voting packs sent to the electorate will each include unique codes which can be used to access the vote through a dedicated phone line or website. The facilities for an online and phone vote will be provided by Democracy Counts, an independent contractor which provides a variety of voting systems.

The third option for voting will be by postal ballot. The referendum will be held on Thursday 01 March 2012 to decide the question:

You are being asked to choose between retaining Union Terrace Gardens or replacing them with the proposed City Garden Project design. Which option do you support?

Retaining Union Terrace Gardens

The City Garden Project design

Mr Langley said including a range of voting options in the pack would make the process as simple as possible for the electorate.

He added: “The voting packs are in the latter stages of production and will include all the relevant information needed to vote using one of the three options – by post, online or by telephone. The various options for voting will be laid out clearly in the packs and the steps to follow presented in a straightforward manner.

“The referendum question will not be seeking a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response, rather a show of support for either retaining Union Terrace Gardens or the City Garden Project design. This will also be made clear in the voting packs.”

Voting packs will be issued around 16 February 2012 with papers for counting returned to the Counting Officer no later than 5pm on Thursday 01 March 2012.

City councillors voted in favour of holding a referendum as a means of gauging the level of public support for the proposed development of Union Terrace Gardens at December’s meeting of Full Council.

At Wednesday’s [25 January] Special Meeting of Full Council, elected members agreed a range of recommendations designed to prepare the way for progress to be made if the citizens of Aberdeen vote in favour of the planned redevelopment.

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