The next Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) will be decided on second preferences after no candidate received enough first-choice to win outright.
Conservative candidate David Munro and incumbent commissioner Kevin Hurley will battle it out, with a final outcome expected this evening.
Mr Munro received 82,125 of the county’s first preference votes – nearly double Mr Hurley’s 41,603 – but not the 50 per cent of the vote required under the single transferable vote format.
The first preference votes in the Surrey Police and Crime Commissioner election were as follows:
Jamie Goldrick – Independent: 14,007
Kevin Hurley - Zero Tolerance Policing Ex Chief: 41,603
Camille Juliff – Independent: 12,746
Howard Kaye – Labour Party: 28,005
Paul Kennedy – Liberal Democrats: 29,933
David Munro – Conservative Party: 82,125
Julia Searle – UKIP: 24,055
Mr Munro (pictured above) said: “It is very humbling to realise the confidence that Surrey residents are starting to put in me.
“I have double the first preferences of Mr Hurley and though I have not seen the second preferences, I have heard they are not swinging in a particular direction.”
Mr Hurley was pessimistic in his analysis of the first round of voting, describing the outlook for him as “not good”.
He said: “When I was a police officer we always said, ‘The public will get the police service and the criminal justice service they deserve.
“In this case they will get what they voted for.”
Voter turnout increased significantly since the inaugural Surrey PCC election in 2012 - 15.36 per cent in 2012 to 28.07 per cent this year.
From earlier today: Voter turnout up significantly on inaugural 2012 election
Mr Munro said: “It was not as high a turnout as I wanted. In a democratic process as many people (as possible) should take part.”
Labour candidate Howard Kaye, who fell out of the race with 28,005 votes, felt the reason the turnout was so poor was a lack of publicity.
He said: “If (the government) are serious about the role they are going to have to invest in the publicity.
“There is a central website where candidates can have an election leaflet – which is unlike the general election where candidates can have a mailshot to every household.
“That is not the case (with the PCC elections) and that is a massive detriment.
“There has been a distinct sense of disconnect with people not knowing about the election, knowing who the candidates are, or knowing what they stand for.”
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