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Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2023

Stroud District Council is carrying out out a Polling District and Polling Places review pursuant to the provisions of the Representation of the People Act 1983 and Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 and other relevant statutory provisions.

Under the Representation of the People Act and The Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 require the Acting Returning Officer to undertake a review of the UK Parliamentary polling districts and polling places within the Stroud District every 5 years. The next statutory review is due to commence from 1 October 2023 - 1 January 2025.

We conducted an interim review following the conclusion of the Community Governance Review. The Community Governance Review was approved at Council on Thursday 20 July 2023 and agreed the creation of a new Parish Council. The interim Polling District Review is being conducted to ensure a relevant polling station is appointed to this parish and to align the polling district boundaries with the respective Parish boundaries. 

The public consultation for the next statutory review will started on Tuesday 17 October 2023 and will ended on Wednesday 22 November 2023. The final proposals will be collated and then considered by Full Council on Thursday 14 December 2023. If agreed, the amendments will come into effect when the revised electoral register is published on Thursday 1 February 2024. 

Stroud District Council invited the views from all interested parties in relation to the designation of polling districts, polling places and polling stations. In particular from any residents or groups/organisations that had specific expertise in access for persons with disabilities. 

The Consultation to this review has now closed. 

The documents from the review can be found below or at Reception at Ebley Mill. 

 

Polling District Review Documents

The review must be undertaken to ensure that all elector have reasonable and suitable facilities for voting. When reviewing our polling district, places and stations we will follow the following legislative guidelines;

  • Each parish is to be separate polling district unless special circumstances apply;
  • Must designate a polling place for each polling district unless the situation of the polling station does not materially effect the convenience of the elector;
  • The polling place must be in an area in the polling district unless special circumstances mean it is not possible to locate an appropriate place for polling, then it can be wholly or partly moved outside of the polling district;
  • The polling place must be small enough to indicate to electors in different parts of the district how they will be able to reach the polling station;
  • Seek to ensure that all electors in the local authority have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances;
  • Seek to ensure that the polling place has appropriate accessibility for electors who are disabled so far as is reasonable.

Where possible 'natural' boundaries should be used e.g. railways, major roads, waterways etc and all minor roads or estates should be in one polling district.

Polling places should be 'logical' i.e. electors should not have to travel past another polling place to get to another

Neither the boundaries for parliamentary constituencies nor local ward boundaries will be part of this review.

Polling district
A geographical area created by the sub-division of a UK Parliamentary Constituency. All electors within the polling district will attend the same voting place (unless a postal vote is in place).

Polling place
The building or area in which a polling station will be provided by the Acting Returning Officer within the polling district (unless special circumstances mean this is not possible)

Polling station
The room or area within the polling place where the process of voting takes place during an election e.g. a room in a village hall.

The Electoral Commission has guided that no polling station can have more than 2,250 voters assigned to it that would vote in person. This does not mean that the polling district cannot be more than this, but if so the polling place and station must be split into multiple polling stations (i.e. become a double station) and therefore be able to accompany the extra equipment required for this (e.g. polling booths)

Notice of Review (commencement of consultation)

Tuesday 17 October 2023

Acting Returning Officers representations to be published

Tuesday 17 October 2023

End of the consultation period

Wednesday 22 November 2023

Consideration of all representations

October - November

Report submitted to Council

Thursday 14 December 2023

Re-publication of the revised register (using new polling districts)

Tuesday 2 January 2024

Revised arrangements come into force

May 2024

The Council will publish:

  • All correspondence received in connection with the review
  • All representations made by any person in connection with the review
  • Details of the designations of polling districts or polling places agreed as a result of the review
  • Details of where the results of the review have been published.

All person information will be redacted for the purposes of publishing responses