Council seeks your opinion as it carries out a review of polling districts, places and polling stations

Northumberland County Council is asking all residents for their views as they  conducting a review of the polling districts, polling places and polling stations across the county.

Notice of Review of Polling Districts, Polling Places and Polling Stations
1. Notice is hereby given that Northumberland County Council (‘the council’) is conducting a
review of the polling districts, polling places and polling stations that fall within the County of
Northumberland.
2. The (Acting) Returning Officer (ARO) for the Parliamentary Constituencies of Berwick Upon
Tweed, Blyth, Hexham and Wansbeck will make comment on the proposals and those
representations will be published on the Council’s website and notice boards in accordance
with the timetable set out below.
3. Electors within Northumberland County Council, or the Parliamentary Constituencies of
Berwick Upon Tweed, Blyth, Hexham or Wansbeck, may make a representation.
4. The Council would welcome the views of all residents, particularly disabled residents, or any
person or body with expertise in access for persons with any type of disability, on the
proposals, and ARO’s representation, or any other related matters.
5. Persons or bodies making representations should, if possible, give alternative places that may
be used as polling places.
6. Comments and representations may be submitted as follows:
By Post: Electoral Services, Northumberland County Council, County Hall, Morpeth,
Northumberland, NE61 2EF
By Email: PollingDistrictReview@northumberland.gov.uk
7. Documents relating to the review can be inspected on the Council’s website
https://www.northumberland.gov.uk/Councillors/Elections.aspx#pollingreviewsothermattersat
or at the Council Offices, County Hall, Morpeth, Northumberland, NE61 2EF
8. Timetable for the review:

10 July 2019 Publication of notice and commencement of the review. Start of public consultation period
31 July 2019 Publication of the (Acting) Returning Officer’s comments and proposals
30 September 2019 Public consultation period closes
6 November 2019 Final proposals considered at full meeting of Northumberland County Council

 

Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places – Terms of Reference

 

Designation of polling districts, as prescribed by s18A Representation of the People Act 1983 (RPA 1983)

• The Northumberland County Council area must be divided in polling districts for the purpose of parliamentary elections.
• Keep the polling districts under review.
• The Council must seek to ensure that all electors in its area shall have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances.
• Each parish must be in a separate polling district.

 

The boundaries and names of Electoral Divisions are NOT covered by the review.

 

Designation of polling places, as prescribed by s18B RPA 1983

• The Council must designate a ‘polling place’ within each of the polling districts and keep them under review.
• The Council must seek to ensure that so far as is reasonable and practicable, that each polling place is accessible to electors who are disabled and also have regard to the accessibility to disabled persons of potential polling stations it is considering designating as a polling place.
• A polling place must be within the area of its respective polling district unless special circumstances make it desirable to designate it wholly or partly outside the district.
• The polling place must be small enough to indicate to electors in different parts of the polling district how they will be able to reach the polling station.
• If no polling place is designated for a polling district, the polling district itself is to be taken to the polling place.

 

Glossary of Terms

 

Division

A ‘division’ is the electoral unit of the ‘first tier’ of local government. County Divisions combine to make up the Northumberland County Council area.

 

Parish Ward

Parish councils are the ‘third tier’ of local government and some are divided into parish wards. Parishes and parish wards are NOT subject to the review.

 

Polling District

A polling district is a geographical sub-division of a division or parish area, which is designated by the local authority.

 

Polling Place

A polling place is not defined in legislation but may be a location or building in which a polling station can be situated.