BUTTRILLS ward voters elected Plaid's Ian Johnson onto the Vale and Barry Town councils – although an administrative error means the result could still be challenged.

But candidates and their supporters indicated they would not ask for a by-election re-run after the Vale Council published the wrong polling time, 7am to 10am instead of 10pm, for the community council on its website election notice.

By-elections for both councils were held on Thursday (August 2) following the death of Labour councillor Margaret Alexander in May.

Plaid defeated Labour by 26 votes on the town council and 38 on the Vale, and Cllr Johnson, writing on Facebook after the declaration, described the result as "a genuinely historical victory for Plaid Cymru". But a member of the public raised concerns with the Barry & District News about the potential for voter confusion.

The Electoral Commission said the correct information should have been published, and that the result can be challenged via the election petition procedure. But Vale Council leader and Labour group leader, Cllr Neil Moore, said his group would not challenge the result.

He said: "I understand that the Electoral Commission had been contacted by the Council and they have indicated that it will not be necessary to re run the election, although I understand that there is a procedure to make a claim via an Election Petition."

Vale Council Conservative group leader, Cllr John Thomas said he was concerned the wrong polling time was advertised, but believed the vast majority of voters would have realised this was an error as the correct time was printed on the polling cards sent to all voters.

"I am therefore satisfied that the result is valid and will not be calling for another by election in the Buttrills Ward," he said.

Dennis Harkus, chairman of FocusBARRY, who supported independent candidate David Green in the community council election, said he believed the result should stand.

He said: "Elections cost money and that comes from the public purse, so does the impact of the mistake justify spending more taxpayers' money?

"Some will argue that the mistake disenfranchised the public from a fair election, but I would want to see the evidence before supporting that conclusion."

A Vale Council spokeswoman said: "The time of the county council by-election was correct and consequently the times the polling stations were open would have been known from this notice. The polling cards that were sent to all electors had the correct information.

"We have contacted the Electoral Commission and their advice is that there is no need for us to run another by-election."

RESULTS

Vale Council:

Thomas Douglas Burley (Conservative) 90 votes

David Jonathan Green (Independent) 82

Ian James Johnson (Plaid Cymru) 541

Brian Morris (Labour) 503

Barry Town Council:

Thomas Douglas Burley (Conservative) 88 votes

David Jonathan Green (Independent) 78

Ian James Johnson (Plaid Cymru) 529

Brian Morris (Labour) 503

Christopher Albert Short (Independent) 26