AS today’s police and crime commissioner results come in all eyes will be on which candidates have won and by how many votes.
But for once, a figure that usually gets much less attention will also be important - the turnout.
When police and crime commissioners were first elected in Yorkshire in 2012 the highest turnout was for Humberside where just one-in-five people bothered to vote.
The argument underpinning the introduction of PCCs was that old-style police authorities were out of touch with the public but the incoming commissioners could hardly claim a better mandate when so few people had voted for them.
The low turnouts in 2012 were subsequently, put down to a lack of understanding of the new roles, the holding of the elections in the autumn and the fact there were no incumbents with track records to defend.
YORKSHIRE POST RESULTS SERVICE FROM YOUR COUNCIL
• Barnsley • Bradford • Calderdale • Craven • Harrogate • Hull • Kirklees • Leeds • Rotherham • Sheffield • Wakefield
‘It will be very different next time round’ was the mantra at the time.
It is almost guaranteed that turnouts this time will be higher given that in many areas yesterday people will have been presented with a PCC ballot paper at the same time as they voted for their local councillor.
A better test of whether the public is any more engaged with PCCs will come from the number of people who vote in those areas where there were no council elections.
If voters went to polling stations in decent numbers in places like East Riding, Scarborough or Doncaster to vote for their PCC, supporters of the system will be able to legitimately argue its case.
But if it looks like the only reason people cast a PCC ballot was because they were at the polling station then critics will be quick to make the case for their abolition.
The candidates in the PCC elections are:
West Yorkshire
Mark Burns-Williamson, Labour
Peter Corkindale, Ukip
Allan Doherty, Conservatives
Stewart Golton, Lib Dems
Therese Hirst, English Democrats
South Yorkshire
David Allen, English Democrats
Alan Billings, Labour
Gavin Felton, Ukip
Joe Otten, Lib Dems
Ian Walker, Conservatives
Humberside
Matthew Grove, Conservative
Denis Healy, Lib Dems
Keith Hunter, Labour
Michael Whitehead, Ukip
North Yorkshire
James Blanchard, Lib Dems
Mike Pannett, Independent
Julia Mulligan, Conservative
Stephen Howley, Labour