The cost per person of holding local elections is on the rise amid low turnout, prompting debate as to whether people should be forced to the polls.
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00:00Three seats were contested this February.
00:03We know who won and we know turnout was low.
00:08In Rochester East and Warren Wood, just 24.4% of eligible voters cast a ballot.
00:16And at that last election, it turns out it cost the taxpayer around £14 per vote.
00:22That's the average cost of one person getting a takeaway.
00:26But how about if everybody voted who could?
00:30Well, then it would have cost the taxpayer only £3.
00:34That was less than this sandwich cost me.
00:38Even at last year's general election, turnout was only around 60%.
00:43You'd need compulsory voting to get everyone to the polls.
00:48But would it be popular? We've asked people in Rochester.
00:53I think it's a two-edged sword.
00:54The problem with that is I'm lucky I work from home so I can take my dog for a walk.
00:58But if you are a man who's working in NHS or whatever else, when do they get the time to do the voting?
01:03If it's compulsory and do they get penalised if they don't?
01:06I mean, I know some places it is compulsory.
01:09I can't imagine it coming in here at present.
01:11But I think people should get to know their councillors.
01:14No, to be honest, I wouldn't vote.
01:17Personally, because I'm not as aware of the information I need to be aware of.
01:22And I feel like I'm only 19 at the end of the day as well, so I don't feel like I know a lot.
01:26The thing is, do people know it's costing £14 a vote?
01:30I didn't know that until you told me.
01:32No, I didn't know it would cost money either.
01:33No.
01:33Following new Medway MPs being elected last year, they stood down as councillors, triggering this year's by-election.
01:43Elections are a statutory process.
01:45Is there any way we can make them cheaper and more efficient so they don't cost £14 per voter?
01:50Certainly as regards the process, both of the count but also the days and weeks running up to actually election day,
01:57the team here do a tremendous job.
01:59So, look, democracy does have a price.
02:02That's the reality of it.
02:03But I would say the efficiencies are strong in that team.
02:08Photo fatigue is often blamed for low turnout.
02:11So there'll be far fewer elections across Kent anyway.
02:14County council heads to the polls in a few weeks and it's set to be historic.
02:20Expected to be the last before local government reorganisation reshapes Kent,
02:26reducing its 14 councils to just three or four.
02:32Gabriel Morris in Medway.