UK vote for police chiefs may be record low

LONDON (AP) -- The voting booths were empty and deep piles of ballot papers were left untouched -- Britain's elections to appoint new police and crime commissioners may have attracted the lowest number of voters in recent history.

Though the commissioners will be responsible across most of England and Wales for appointing chief constables and setting budgets for police departments, the vote on Thursday failed to stir interest.

Authorities said Friday that in Wiltshire -- the first area to announce its results -- just 15.8 percent of people eligible to vote had taken part.

By contrast, Britain's 2010 national election had a turnout of 65 percent of eligible voters.

A previous low, a 1999 election for the European Parliament, saw a turnout in Britain of 24 percent.

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