Local elections suspended after councilor's death as polling stations reopen

Graham Galton ran for election at Coxford in Southampton. The candidate died after the polls opened.

Graham Galton, a Conservative councillor, ran for election in Coxford, Southampton, and has represented neighboring Millbrook for the past four years.

>Voting in Coxford will now take place over the next 35 days and Southampton City Council has warned residents to stay away from the polls.

The statement said: “The returning officer has been informed of the death of Coxford constituency candidate Mr Graham Galton, who was running for election to Southampton City Council in today's election.

“Our condolences to Mr Galton's family. The law provides that if proof of a candidate's death is delivered to the returning officer after the polls open but before the results are announced, the vote must be terminated and a new election must be held in that constituency.”

In a profile on the City Council website, Mr Galton said he retired after a 50-year career in the gas industry and is a Southampton Football Club season ticket holder. Diana Galton, his wife, was also a Conservative councilor in the same ward.

Claire Daniel Fitgenry, leader of the council's Conservative group, praised him for his “humor and willingness to help others.”

He told the local newspaper the Daily Echo: “There are people who light up a room with joy and warmth when you see them, and Graham was one of them.

“We will miss you very much, Graham, and we will remember you and your smile forever.”

Photo ID

This comes amid the scandal of requiring photo ID for the first time in the UK election, with activists claiming large numbers of people were being denied access to polling stations upon arrival.

“We have already seen countless examples of people being denied the right to vote because of these new laws,” said Jess Garland, policy director for the Electoral Reform Society.

However, the Association of Electoral Administrators said, that he was not aware of any major issues and insisted that Election Day “ran as smoothly as usual.”

Craig Westwood, director of communications for the Election Commission, assured voters that they could still use expired ID cards at the polls while he still looked like them.

“There is a specific list of about 20 [forms of ID]… If you have an ID card that has expired, it doesn't matter as long as it still looks like you,” he told Sky.

Only 89,502 of the nearly 1.8 million people in England who were not eligible to vote, applied for a government scheme that allowed them to participate.