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Consultation

Have your Say on the (Acting) Returning Officer's Proposals

Contents 

Contact information

Information on who can make representations and comments and where to address them is given later on this page.

If you want to talk to someone about this review or want further information about any other electoral matter please contact:

Cara Hopkinson
Democratic and Electoral Services Manager

Bassetlaw District Council
Queen’s Buildings
Potter Street
S80 2AH

Telephone (01909) 53352
Email: elections@bassetlaw.gov.uk

If you would like to receive this consultation document in an alternative format, such as large print, please let us know by contacting Electoral Services by: 

Introduction to this review

The Electoral Administration Act 2006 introduced a duty for all polling districts and polling places to be reviewed every four years. The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 introduced a change to the timing of compulsory reviews of UK Parliamentary polling districts and polling places.  The next compulsory review must be started and completed between 1st October 2023 and 31st January 2025. The Council must carry out a full review of the arrangements under which its area is divided into polling districts and by which polling places are provided within those districts.  The review covers both the whole area governed by the District Council and any parliamentary constituencies that come within it. In between full reviews, a review must also be undertaken when a change in a particular polling place is proposed to be made.

Schedule A1 to the Representation of the People Act 1983 and the Review of Polling Districts sets out the steps to be taken in a review. Guidance on the conduct of reviews is published by the Electoral Commission.

This document forms the basis of the consultation on the review.  Information about the procedures for making representations is given later in this paper and the detailed proposals, including proposals for change, are set out in the appendix.

Definitions

Parliamentary constituency - The subject of the review is the division of the district and the parliamentary constituency into polling districts and the provision of polling places; the actual constituency boundaries cannot be changed by this review.

Polling district - This is the area created by the division of a constituency or local government electoral area, such as a ward. The district council is responsible for deciding the boundaries of polling districts.  In England, each parish must be a separate polling district, although larger parishes can be divided into two or more districts.  A parish must not be in a polling district which has a part of a different parish within it, or any un-parished part of the local authority area within it.

Polling place - This is the building or area in which the Returning Officer will locate polling stations. 

Polling station - This is the actual area where the process of voting takes place. This must be located within the polling place and designated for the particular polling district. This function of identifying a polling station is the responsibility of the Returning Officer.

The Review Process

As part of the review process the Council must:

  • Seek to ensure that all electors in the constituency/local government area 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 are accessible to those who are disabled; and
  • When considering or reviewing the designation of a polling place, have regard to the accessibility needs of disabled persons.

The Council is required to publish notice of the holding of a review.  Information about the review is made available on the Council’s website and can also be obtained from Electoral Services at Queen’s Buildings, Potter Street, Worksop, S80 2AH.

The consultation document will also be sent to:

  • The local Members of Parliament 
  • District and County Councillors 
  • Local political parties 
  • Parish councils 
  • Persons who have particular expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for persons who have different forms of disability 

The consultation period for this stage of the review will last for six weeks. 

The timetable for this review is as follows: 

The role of the Returning Officer 

The Council is required to consult the (Acting) Returning Officer for every Parliamentary constituency that is wholly or partly within its area.  This consultation document includes any proposals made by the (Acting) Returning Officer for the Bassetlaw Constituency, notice of which has been given to the (Acting) Returning Officer for the adjoining Newark constituency (Newark and Sherwood District Council).

Current arrangements 

Appendix 1 to this consultation sets out the details of current polling district and polling places for each of the polling districts and gives an assessment of the current arrangements.

How to comment on the review

Any elector in the whole of the District, whether they live in the Bassetlaw District Constituency or those parts of the Newark constituency which come within the District, may make representations to the Council on the (acting) Returning Officer's Proposals.

Representations must be received by 22nd December 2023.

Representations can be made online at: www.bassetlaw.gov.uk/polling-review

 

Completion of the review 

A report containing the findings of the initial consultation and any proposed changes to polling districts and polling places will be published on 24th November for further consultation. Final recommendations will be presented to Council on 25th January 2024. The Council will be asked to consider the proposals and representations received and make a final decision.

Any changed will come into force on 1st February 2024. Any new polling districts and polling places will become effective at all elections held after this date.

In addition, the Council must publish:

  • All correspondence sent to the Returning Officer in connection with the review and all correspondence sent to any person who the Council thinks has particular expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for persons who have different forms of disability;
  • All representations made by any person in connection with the review;
  • The minutes of any meetings held by the Council where details of the review have been considered;
  • Details of the actual designations of polling districts and polling places agreed as a result of the review; and •
  • Details of where the results of the review have been published.

Challenging the outcome of the review

The Electoral Commission plays no part in the conduct of the review itself. However, it does have a role to play if anyone believes that the Council has not carried out the review properly and has failed to:

  • Meet the reasonable requirements of the electors in the local government area/constituency, or a body of them (i.e. the reasonable requirements of a particular area of the authority have not been satisfactorily met);  or
  • Take sufficient account of the accessibility to disabled persons of polling stations within a designated polling place

If that is the case, the following may make representations in writing to the Electoral Commission:

  • 30 or more registered electors in the constituency review being undertaken (except the Returning Officer)
  • Any person who has made representations to the authority when the review was being undertaken
  • Any parish council wholly or partially situated within the constituency
  • Any person who is not an elector within the constituency who the Electoral Commission feels has sufficient interest in the accessibility of disabled persons to polling places in the area or has particular expertise in relation to the access to premises or facilities of disabled persons

Representations about the review should be sent to:

Legal Counsel
The Electoral Commission
3 Bunhill Row
London EC1Y 8YZ
Tel: 020 7271 0500
Fax: 020 7271 0505

Email: appeals@electoralcommission.org.uk

The Returning Officer may make observations on any representations made to the Commission.

Review by the Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is required to consider any such representations and observations, and after doing so, may direct the relevant council to make any alterations it sees necessary to the polling places designated by the review. Should a council fail to make the alterations within two months of the direction being given, the Commission may make the alterations itself.

Last Updated on Friday, February 9, 2024

Have your Say on the (Acting) Returning Officer's Proposals