A group of student journalists scored an election night scoop after being the first to reveal that voters had been turned away from a polling station.

Local MP and Lib Dem leader Nick Clegg has promised an inquiry into the conduct of the count in his Sheffield Hallam constituency which saw hundreds of people who had queued in the rain for hours fail to cast their votes before the 10 o’clock deadline.

But the episode may never have come to light but for journalism students at the University of Sheffield who were covering the count for their in-house newspaper and website.

Budding reporter Anna Macnaughton uncovered the scoop after being alerted to the situation via a fellow student’s Twitter feed.

She wrote: “I was just settling down to watch the count for the night in the newsroom when I saw a tweet from a fellow student in Sheffield saying she’d been waiting in line for two hours to vote. Thinking it could be a good short story for tomorrow’s paper I set off to find the polling station.

“By the time I got there at about 9pm it was pouring with rain. I met countless students on my way, some of whom had waited for hours and voted, some who had just given up and left. They were angry, and cold.

“Assuring the queue that I wasn’t trying to vote, I managed to get into the polling station. All along the queue I had heard the same story – students and residents had been separated by the Presiding Officer, and residents were being allowed to vote first.

“As I got into the corridor this was confirmed; residents along one side and students the other. Both groups were angry, and wanted me to ask what was happening – whether they’d be able to vote if they had to wait beyond 10pm.

“I got further in, where the presiding officer Andy Globe was being addressed by a group of angry people. He said if he could he would keep it open for hours, but by law he couldn’t, said they’d made mistakes but there was nothing he could do about it.”

Course leader David Holmes added: “Our coverage of the story led to both the Times and Telegraph websites linking to us, and our live website scored over 2,000 hits on the night. Not bad from a standing start with no readers at all!”

Other journalism colleges whose students provided election night coverage included Leeds Trinity University College, De Montfort University, Staffordshire University, Cardiff University, City College Brighton and Hove, UCLan, Glasgow Caledonian University, Brighton Journalist Works, Highbury College, University of Kent, University of Salford and Up to Speed Journalism Training.

A full-round up of their efforts can be found on the National Council for the Training of Journalists website.

Comments

Where are the subs? (10/05/2010 11:22:57)
If the polls really did have a 10am deadline it’s no wonder so many people didn’t get to vote…..

Where are the subs? (10/05/2010 11:33:41)
Sorry – meant to say well done to the students and I wish them well in this diabolical market.

Gavin Lambert (10/05/2010 13:50:42)
Why did so many people turn up so late to vote? Students are free most of the day, the Polling Stations were open from 7am, have a bit of sympathy for those of us who have to work proper hours and had no choice but to vote from 7pm onwards.

Rachel (10/05/2010 16:52:09)
Gavin, although lots of students might have free time during the day, there are also plenty that have full 9-5pm hours the same as you. They wouldn’t have a choice either.

Colin Shek (10/05/2010 17:00:10)
Queues already began forming outside the Ranmoor polling station at 4pm on Thursday. Staff numbers were doubled but it still prevent over a hundred people missing their vote.