Parish Council Elections 2nd May 2019
Election Information
Harborough District has 91 parishes of which 45 are parish councils (the remainder being parish meetings). The town of Market Harborough is unparished.
On 2nd May 2019 elections will be held to elect parish councillors to all 45 parish councils.
The Notice of Election will be published on 22nd March 2019 and the close of nominations will be 4PM on 3rd April 2019. Completed nomination papers must be delivered by hand to the Returning Officer, The Symington Building, Adam and Eve Street, Market Harborough, LE16 7AG or at one of the three Check/Hand-in events to be held across the district during the nomination period.
Because of the changes to ward boundaries being introduced at these elections the electors numbers (which you will need for your nomination papers) will change. If you have access to a copy of the existing register these numbers will not be correct. The updated registers containing the new elector numbers that you will need will be available on request from 22nd March 2019
| 20th March 2019 6PM | Nomination and Election Information Event (The Symington Building, Market Harborough) |
| 22nd March 2019 | Publication of Notice of Election |
| 28th March 2019 | Nomination Check/Hand-In Event - Kibworth |
| 1st April 2019 | Nomination Check/Hand-In Event - Lutterworth |
| 2nd April 2019 | Nomination Check/Hand-In Event - Billesdon |
| 3rd April 2019 4PM | Close of Nominations |
| 4th April 2019 Noon | Statement of Persons Nominated is published |
| 2nd May 2019 | Polling Day and Verification (following close of poll) |
| 3rd May 2019 | Count (Harborough Leisure Centre) |
| Question | Answer |
| Do the existing parish councillors have to stand for re-election? | Yes, the elections are to elect the whole council and all candidates have equal standing. If the election is contested the local government electors for the parish will decide which candidates are elected via the ballot box. |
| Can I stand for election? | Anyone that meets the qualification can stand for election (see guidance on qualification elsewhere on this website or contact the Elections Office for guidance) |
| Does the parish council have to approve my nomination? | No, you just need to find 2 supporters who are electors in the parish (proposer and seconder) |
| Where do I get nomination forms/packs from? | These will be available from the Elections Office at the District Council. Parish clerks will also be provided with nomination packs for distribution locally. |
| Will there be an election? | If more valid nominations are received than the number of seats available on the parish council an election will take place on 2nd May 2019 and local voters will decide who is elected to the parish council. |
| What happens if there are fewer nominations received than seats available? | Those who submitted valid nominations are automatically elected without a contest. Providing the parish council is quorate it will be able to fill the remaining vacancies by co-option. |
| What is a quorum? | This is the minimum number of parish councillors required to be in attendance at a meeting to enable it to function. This is normally three or a third, whichever is the greater. |
| Running an election is costly isn't it? | There is a cost to democracy. There are costs to a parish council for contested and also uncontested elections. As the parish elections are run in combination with the district elections the costs are reduced. Parish councils are provided with budget figures for contested elections well in advance so they can include those costs in their precepts. |
| What happens if the parish council isn't quorate after the election? | The election may be re-run. The District Council also has reserve powers to make direct appointments to a parish council to make it quorate and ensure it can function |
| Where can I find out more information? |
This website will be regularly updated. You can also go to the Electoral Commission's website which contains a lot of useful information: |
| Are there elections for parish meetings? | No, a parish meeting consists of all the registered local government electors in the parish. They elect a chairperson at the annual parish meeting. |