Elections
District and Parish Council Elections and UK Parliamentary Voting System Referendum - Thursday 05 May 2011
LATEST NEWSNominations for District and Parish Elections have now closed. To see the full list of candidates follow the links District Election 2011 - Individual Ward Information. Parish Elections 2011 - All Parish Information. STOP PRESS - DEADLINES FAST APPROACHING:Deadline for registering to vote at these elections and this referendum - Thursday 14 April.Deadline for new applications to vote by post or changes to existing absent vote arrangements (postal and/or proxy) - 5.00 p.m., Thursday 14 April. |
General Information
On Thursday 05 May 2011, elections will be held for Cotswold District Council, and all Town and Parish Councils within the Cotswold District. These elections will determine the Councillors who will be representing those Councils for the next four years.
On the same day, there will be a referendum across the UK in respect of the voting system to be used at future Parliamentary Elections.
Cotswold District Council is responsible for running the elections and referendum on 05 May throughout the Cotswold District.
More than 70,000 electors will be eligible to vote, many of whom will cast their votes at one of the 110 polling stations that will be open on polling day from 7:00am until 10:00pm We anticipate issuing around 11,500 postal votes.
The counting of election and referendum votes will take place at Cotswold Leisure Centre, Tetbury Road, Cirencester on Friday 06 May.
Members of the public are not able to attend the Count.
UK Parliamentary Voting System Referendum
This is a UK referendum of all voters to decide on whether to adopt the 'Alternative Voting' (AV) electoral system or whether to retain the 'First-past-the-post' system for electing Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons.
The Electoral Commission is intending to distribute a booklet to all households with information about the referendum. The booklet will explain the first past the post and the alternative vote systems and what will happen in the event of a yes or no vote on 05 May.A copy of the Public Information Booklet can be accessed by using the following link:
More information can be found on the Electoral Commission website, by using the following link:
The Notice of Referendum was published on 25 March 2011, and can be seen by using the following link:
The Notice of Poll and List of Polling Places has now been published, and can be seen by using the following link:
District Council Elections
The District Council comprises 44 Councillors who represent 28 Wards within the Cotswold District.
The Wards, their boundaries, and the number of Councillors to be elected for each Ward can be seen on the following map:
Details of Parishes that make up the various Wards can be found in the following table:
Elections will be held for all 28 Wards on 05 May 2011.
The Notice of Election for the District Council Elections was published on 25th March 2011, and can be seen by using the following link:
The Notices of Poll for the District Council Elections have now been published, and can be seen by using the following link:
Town / Parish Council Elections
There are 86 Town / Parish Councils within Cotswold District who, collectively, comprise 604 Councillors, each elected to represent the interests of their communities. A list of all Town / Parish Councils, and the number of Councillors to be elected for each, can be accessed by using the following link:
Elections will be held for 18 of the 86 Councils on 05 May 2011.
The Notice of Election for the Parish Council Elections was published on 25th March 2011, and can be seen by using the following link:
The Notices of Poll for the contested Parish Council Elections have now been published, and can be seen by using the following link:
The Notices relating to the uncontested Parish Council Elections have now been published, and can be seen by using the following link:
Key Dates
The election process started officially with the publication of a Notice of Election in respect of each District Ward and each Town / Parish Council and Town / Parish Ward. The relevant Notices were published on Friday 25 March 2011.
Copies of all relevant Notices will be made available on the Council’s website, at the District Council Offices in Cirencester, and in each Parish.
A detailed timetable, featuring all key deadlines, can be accessed by using the following link:
The Electoral Register
In order to be able to vote at any election, you must be included in the electoral register.
The Council wrote to each household in September / October last year. If you are not sure you returned your form, or if you have moved house since then and have not re-registered, then take a few minutes to do so now, and make sure nothing stops you from having your say on election day.
If you are not already on the register of electors, and wish to vote at the elections and referendum on 05 May, we must receive your application / registration form by Thursday 14 April 2011.
An application / registration form can be accessed by using the following link:
You can also print off a form from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk or obtain a paper copy from the Elections Team.
Completed application forms must be posted or faxed to us, as we require a signature on the form. We can also accept scanned images of duly signed/completed forms; however, you cannot complete the form online.
Please send completed forms to:
Electoral Services,
Council Offices,
Trinity Road,
Cirencester,
Gloucestershire,
GL7 1PX
or fax to 01285 623 907, or email to elections@cotswold.gov.uk
Remember: if you are not registered, you can't vote!
Can’t Make it to the Polling Station on Polling Day? Then Choose Postal or Proxy Voting
Postal Voting
It's very easy to apply for a postal vote. You can have a postal vote for one election (or all elections on a particular day) because you'll be on holiday, or you may prefer to have a permanent postal vote - it's your choice.
If you want to apply to vote by post at the elections / referendum on 05 May, then we must receive your completed form by 5 pm on Thursday 14 April.
The same deadline applies if you want to make changes to an existing postal vote arrangement in time for the 05 May elections / referendum.
A postal voting application form can be downloaded from here:
Completed application forms must be posted or faxed to us, as we require a signature on the form. We can also accept scanned images of duly signed/completed forms; however, you cannot complete the form online.
Please send completed forms to:
Electoral Services,
Council Offices,
Trinity Road,
Cirencester,
Gloucestershire,
GL7 1PX
or fax to 01285 623 907, or email to elections@cotswold.gov.uk
Postal voters will receive a postal poll card to confirm their postal voting arrangements.
Postal ballot packs will be sent out between 18 and 25 April, depending on when your application was received. All packs will be issued by first class post. If you have not received your postal vote pack by 28 April, please contact the Elections Team for advice.
If you lose or accidentally spoil your postal vote, replacement packs can be issued up to 5:00pm on election day itself, 05 May. However, the earliest date for the issue of replacement packs is Wednesday 27 April.
Postal votes must be received by the Returning Officer by 10:00pm on Thursday 05 May. If, for some reason, you cannot post your postal vote back in time, completed postal votes can be returned to any polling station within your Ward / Parish by that 10:00pm deadline.
Please remember that a valid date of birth and signature must be provided on the postal vote statement. Without this information, the postal vote will not be valid and will not be counted.
Proxy Voting
If you can't vote in person and a postal vote would not be suitable for you, e.g. if you are in hospital or away on holiday, you can appoint someone you trust to vote for you at your polling station. Your application may have to be supported by a doctor or other qualified person if you are asking for a long-term proxy vote.
If you want to apply to vote by proxy at the elections / referendum on 05 May, then we must receive your completed form by 5 pm on Thursday 21 April.
If, however, you want to make changes to your existing proxy voting arrangements, then we must receive your completed application by 5 pm on Thursday 14 April.
If, after the deadline for new proxy vote applications, you become unable to vote at your polling station on grounds of medical emergency, then you can apply for an emergency proxy vote. Such applications (duly attested by an approved person - normally a registered health practitioner) must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at:
The Council Offices,
Trinity Road,
Cirencester,
Gloucestershire,
GL7 1PX
by 5:00pm on Thursday, 05 May. Please phone the Elections Team if you require assistance or clarification.
A proxy voting application form can be downloaded from here:
Completed application forms must be posted or faxed to us, as we require a signature on the form. We can also accept scanned images of duly signed/completed forms; however, you cannot complete the form online.
Please send completed forms to:
Electoral Services,
Council Offices,
Trinity Road,
Cirencester,
Gloucestershire,
GL7 1PX
or fax to 01285 623 907, or email to elections@cotswold.gov.uk
Proxy voters, and their appointed proxies, will receive proxy poll cards to confirm their voting arrangements. If, on election day, a person who has appointed a proxy is able to vote in person, then he / she can do so provided that the proxy has not already voted on his / her behalf.
It is also possible for someone who has been appointed as an elector’s proxy to apply to vote by post. A form for this purpose can be downloaded from here:
List of Polling Stations
A list of polling stations can be accessed by using the following link:
Who is Standing for Election?
As the deadline for nominations has passed, details of those persons seeking election are now available on the Council’s website, at the District Council Offices in Cirencester, and in each Parish (as appropriate).
Results Information
A copy of the declarations of results of poll will be added to this page as soon as possible after the counting of votes has been completed.
Results information will also be available on Friday 06 May 2011 on the Council’s website or from the Council Offices at Trinity Road, Cirencester. Town / Parish Council / Ward results will also be displayed in the relevant Parishes.
However, please remember that the various counts will not take place until that day, so the first results are unlikely to be known until some time in the afternoon. Also, we are not permitted to start the count for the referendum until 4.00pm on that day; therefore, the referendum result for the Cotswold Counting Area is unlikely to be known until early evening.
Your Elections Team and Some Useful Contact Details
The Elections Team at Cotswold District Council comprises:
- Nigel Adams, Returning Officer
- Shirley Godsall, Electoral Services Assistant
- Katrina Keylock, Electoral Services Assistant
The Elections Team will be available to provide help and assistance throughout the election process. Their contact details, and other generic contact details, are as follows:-
Nigel Adams, Returning Officer
01285 623 202 (office)
nigel.adams@cotswold.gov.uk
Shirley Godsall, Electoral Services Assistant
01285 623 231 (office)
shirley.godsall@cotswold.gov.uk
Katrina Keylock, Electoral Services Assistant
01285 623 227 (office)
katrina.keylock@cotswold.gov.uk
Elections Team Helpline
01285 623 002
elections@cotswold.gov.uk
CDC Main Office Number
01285 623 000
www.cotswold.gov.uk
Previous Election Results
For historical election results, please go to the results pages.
Other Useful Web-sites
Further information about the Referendum and local elections can be found at the following web-sites:
CONTACTS
Elections
Cotswold District Council, Trinity Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire, GL7 1PX
Telephone: 01285 623 002
Fax: 01285 623 907