APATHY appeared to be the winner in the election for Dorset’s first Police and Crime Commissioner, with fears of a record low turnout.

Polling stations were largely deserted yesterday, with just a fraction of the 588,436 eligible residents in Dorset thought to have exercised their right to vote.

Polling staff with decades of experience said they had never seen it so slow. It's thought the  official turnout announced today will be between 10 and 15 per cent.

Halfway through the day, one presiding officer told the Echo: “We’ve had a handful of people through the door. It’s been very quiet, turnout is very low.”

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And a polling station clerk said: “I’ve been doing this job for 30 years and I’ve never seen so few people come out to vote.”

And it was a similar story across the county. The first 90 minutes at Bournemouth’s Town Hall polling station saw just two voters come through the doors while just three votes were cast at a Poole polling station in eight hours.

In Poole, we watched a polling station at Chapel Lane for 20 minutes yesterday afternoon – and saw not a single voter.

One polling station saw just 50 people through the whole day.

Queens Park resident Matt Devereux, who voted by post, said: “I think there’s a general lethargy on the whole issue of Police and Crime Commissioners.

“I imagine turnout will be incredibly low, which could in turn mean my vote becomes more important. After all, normally my vote is just one in tens of thousands. This time it could really make a difference.”

Casting their vote at the Anunciation Church Hall in Charminster, Michael Gallagher said: “I think the idea of us voting for somebody to run the police is good, it’s better than a quango.”

By 6pm, 244 people had voted at Highcliffe School – a turnout of about 11 per cent, not counting the postal votes.

And wife Andrea said: “We’ve voted but I’ve had to find my own information on the candidates. I didn’t receive any information.”

Also voting was Charminster resident Sue Foan, who said: “If you’re given a choice, you should exercise it. There’s no good complaining otherwise.”

A Southbourne resident who voted at the Trinity Methodist Church said: “The car park is empty and the polling clerks are twiddling their thumbs at the moment.”

Rory Boyle, who cast his vote at Bournemouth town hall, said: “I think it’s a very important election. I believe you should have a say in the policing of your town.”

There are four candidates standing for the post of Police and Crime Commissioner – Rachel Rogers, Labour, Conservative Nick King, Independent Martyn Underhill and Lib Dem candidate Andy Canning.

The votes will be counted at the Lighthouse in Poole today, with a result expected in the afternoon. We'll be covering it live, and bringing you the picture from across the country. You can tweet us @bournemouthecho or @melvassecho, using the hastag #pcc, leave us a comment in the box below or email digital@bournemouthecho.co.uk.