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New Tory candidate to be revealed New Tory candidate to be revealed
(about 2 hours later)
The new Tory candidate for Totnes in Devon at the next general election is to be announced later. The Tories will announce their next Parliamentary candidate for Totnes later, after polling all 69,000 voters in the Devon constituency.
Ballot papers were sent to all 69,000 Totnes voters, in what the Tories claim is the first "open primary" contest held by a British political party. It is the first time a British party has conducted a postal ballot of all voters - regardless of party membership - to select a prospective MP.
Candidates are normally selected by their local party. Totnes MP Anthony Steen is stepping down at the next general election after a row about his expenses.
It follows MP Anthony Steen's decision to stand down at the next election after reports of his expenses were made public by the Daily Telegraph. Sara Randall-Johnson, Nick Bye and Dr Sarah Wollaston made the shortlist.
Chagford GP Dr Sarah Wollaston, East Devon District Council leader Sara Randall-Johnson and Torbay Mayor Nick Bye are among the Conservative candidates. A result is expected around 1230 BST.
The Totnes Conservative branch had planned to have the ballots counted on Friday but it was postponed because of fears three days of industrial action by postal workers in London would result in some ballots not getting to the Electoral Reform Services' offices in London on time. The nature of the contest means people who belong to different political parties can take part in the selection process.
Turnout hopes
The Tories have held open primary contests before in which non-members have been invited to take part in public meetings.
But this time the party has gone a step further and sent out ballot papers by post to all registered voters and a freepost envelope.
BBC Newsnight's political editor Michael Crick said the exercise must have cost the party about £40,000, so it will be hoping for a much larger turnout than the several hundred party members who would attend a traditional selection meeting.
Party chairman Eric Pickles has said a 15% turnout, about 10,000 voters, would be considered a good turnout.
Chagford GP Dr Sarah Wollaston, East Devon District Council leader Sara Randall-Johnson and Torbay Mayor Nick Bye will all have passed preliminary vetting by Conservative Central Office.
Conservative leader David Cameron said the process was "the first time any political party in Britain has sought the views of the voters in such a direct way".
Retiring MP Anthony Steen stepped down after details of his expenses claims over four years were published in the Daily Telegraph.
The newspaper said he claimed £87,000 over four years for his country home, including paying a forestry expert to inspect his trees.
Later he was reprimanded by party leader David Cameron over an interview with the BBC in which he said people were jealous of his "very very large house".
He later apologised, saying he had been "deeply upset" at the time of the interview and had overreacted in the "heat of the moment".
Mr Steen has been an MP in south Devon since 1983, first for South Hams and then for Totnes when the seat was created in 1997.
At the 2005 general election he won with majority of 1,947 over the Liberal Democrat candidate.