Stratford-on-Avon District residents are being asked to have their say on where in their ward or parish they are able to cast their vote during elections.
A consultation has been launched by Stratford-on-Avon District Council as part of a review of polling districts, places and stations for the Stratford-on-Avon constituency.
The District Council is required to carry out such a review every five years to ensure voting arrangements remain up-to-date, convenient and accessible for electors.
David Dalby, Returning Officer for Stratford-on-Avon District Council said: "This is an important review and it gives people the opportunity to have their say on local voting arrangements. Many of our polling stations are at long-established locations and a lot of people will be familiar with them.
"We want to hear if anyone has concerns or issues with the current venues and, if they have, perhaps suggest more convenient or accessible locations for future elections. It is important that we make sure everyone can exercise their right to vote with ease."
Residents can find out more about the review at: www.stratford.gov.uk/pollingreview
Representations can be sent to: David Dalby, Democratic Services Manager, Stratford-on-Avon District Council, Elizabeth House, Church Street, Stratford-upon-Avon, CV37 6HX or emailed to: david.dalby@stratford-dc.gov.uk
The consultation period will end on 28 June 2019.
All responses will be assessed and, along with any recommendations which may be made by the Returning Officer, will be discussed by Full Council later in the year.
Any changes would then be incorporated into the electoral register when it is republished on 1 December 2019 and would take effect at any election held after that date.
Background information
Since October 2013, Under the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013, all local authorities have been required to review their polling districts, polling places, and polling stations every five years. The next compulsory review period is from October 2018 to Jan 2020. Each authority may choose the exact dates and length of their review, but must fall within this review period.
The review requires the District Council to:
- Seek to ensure that all the electors in the constituency have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances.
- Seek to ensure that so far as is reasonable and practicable, the polling places they are responsible for are accessible to all electors, and when considering the designation of a polling place, must have regard to the accessibility needs of disabled persons.
A 'polling district' is a geographical subdivision of an electoral area such as a county division or a district ward within which a polling place is designated.
A 'polling place' is an area or building in which a polling station is usually located and can be a complete polling district.
Polling districts can be created as an electoral requirement but also as a means to provide a more conveniently located polling station for the electorate.
What is being reviewed?
- The polling district boundaries within each ward
- The location of the polling station in each polling district
- The accessibility of each polling station
- Buildings that might be considered for use as polling stations
