Transcript Document

Marr Ward Forums - November 2010
Community Councils
What you need to know to carry
out elections properly
Community Council Elections
Nomination of Candidates
• Candidates must be 18 years or over
and either:
• Be on electoral roll at date of proposal;
or have lived within the CC area for at
least 3 months prior to the nomination;
or be the owner of a business in the CC
area although not personally resident
there.
Nomination rules
• Each candidate needs a proposer and seconder
• The candidate cannot propose him or herself
• Proposer and seconder must appear on the electoral
roll for the CC area or for the relevant sub-division of
the area
• No person is entitled to nominate or second more
than one candidate
• A nomination form and an acceptance of nomination
form are included in Schedule 2 of the Scheme for
your use
Returning Officer – The Election
Process
• The election process needs to be seen
to be fair, therefore
• The returning officer cannot be an
elected CC member or a candidate, but
• Is appointed by the CC except for the
first CC election
• Area Office can give advice
Returning Officer Duties
• Gives public notice of invitation to
submit nominations for membership
• Must give between 14 and 28 days in
the notice for submission of nominations
• After nominations received 7 days
allowed for withdrawals
• Must check nominations are valid
Duties continued
• Returning Officer checks the number of nominations
against number of vacancies
• If more arrange a contested election
• If equal to or less give public notice that validly
nominated candidates have been elected
• If the number of nominations brings the number of
members to less than half of the full membership no
community council is formed and a further round of
nominations needed
Duties Continued
• If still less CC ceases to exist and cannot be
reformed for 6 months at least
• At least 7 days prior to an election RO
publishes details of the election procedure to
be employed, names and addresses of
candidates, and the place, dates and times
fixed for the conduct of the poll and the count
Elections – Voting Arrangements
• Can only vote if on the electoral roll for the
CC area, and is entitled to vote in a local govt
election at the date of the CC election
• Must be secret ballot, method determined by
returning officer as either (but not both):
• By ballot box, at a designated polling place or
places using a simplified version of LA
election procedures, or
• By post
Voting Arrangements continued
• Style of ballot papers to be approved. Contact
Marr Area Office
• Voting can be by either:
• First past the post system, or
• Single Transferable vote system (contact
Area Office if wanting to use STV system for
prescribed procedures and advice)
Other Election Matters
• The CC determines the hours of polling but
polling must be available between 6pm and
8pm unless postal voting used where the
period is determined by the returning officer
• Vacant seats are filled by candidates having
the highest number of votes
• If for the last available seat or seats the votes
for remaining candidates are equal the seats
are decided by lot (responsibility of (RO)
Other Election Matters continued
• Returning officer can appoint helpers to supervise ballot and
count votes
• RO must, immediately after count, complete a return to
Aberdeenshire Council and to the CC with details of those
elected, number of ballot papers issued and returned, the
number of spoilt papers, and any other info the Council requires.
• RO must also give, asap, public notice of names and addresses
of members elected
• 10.6 of the scheme advises on what makes a spoilt ballot paper
(RO decision final). Spoilt papers not counted
Advice and Assistance
• 019755 64801
• [email protected]
• www.aberdeenshire.gov.uk/communityc
ouncils/index.asp