Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 2022

Audience: Electors and other interested persons and bodies, including elected representatives and those with expertise in relation to access to premises or facilities for disabled people.

This consultation is now closed. It was open from 16 December 2022 to 27 January 2023.

The Elections Act 2022 introduces changes which impact the voting process at polling stations and as a result West Suffolk Council undertook an audit of polling station facilities to make sure they comply.

The feedback gathered identified some polling stations which were not available at the next elections on 4 May 2023 and some polling stations which did not provide electors with reasonable facilities for voting or are not accessible to electors who are disabled.

As a result, an interim polling places review was required and focused on changes to the polling scheme where venues were not available or were not suitable. The aims of this tailored review was to:

  • seek to ensure that all electors have reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances, and
  • ensure that so far as is reasonable and practicable, every polling place is accessible to electors who have a disability.

This was not a statutory review and therefore will not look at all polling places or polling district boundaries as they will be subject to a full review, as required by law, to be completed between 1 October 2023 and 31 January 2025.

Definitions

  • Polling District - a geographical subdivision of an electoral area, for example a District/Parish Ward, within which a polling place is designated.
  • Polling Place – an area or building in which polling stations are located, and which can be as wide as a whole polling district.
  • Polling Station – the actual building in which voting takes place.

Review timetable

Notice of review 16 December 2022
Consultation on recommendations included as part of the review 16 December 2022 to 27 January 2023
Publish the conclusions of the review 10 February 2023
Revised polling arrangements take effect 4 May 2023

Notices

Formal Notice of Interim Review of Polling Districts and Polling Places 

Recommendations

Recommendations consulted on as part of the review

Consultation

We invited all interested parties as per the Notice of Review to make representations and comments on both the existing and proposed polling districts and polling places. 

When making comments or alternative proposals, stakeholders and residents were asked to consider that we must:

  • Seek to ensure that all electors have reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances, and
  • Ensure that so far as is reasonable and practicable, every polling place is accessible to electors who have a disability.

Stakeholders and residents were asked to include, where appropriate, alternative venue suggestions that may be used as polling places.

Comments and representations could be submitted in the following ways:

Final recommendations

Following Consultation the final recommendations were considered and agreed:

Appealing against a review

Some persons and bodies have a right to appeal to us against reviews of polling districts and places, but only on certain grounds. Information regarding the procedure for appeal following a review is provided by The Electoral Commission - Polling place reviews

 

If you have any questions or need an explanation relating to any part of this review, please email elections@westsuffolk.gov.uk or telephone 01284 757101.