Review of Polling Stations 2018

Background to the Review

The Council is responsible for designating polling districts and polling places within the area administered by the council. When designating polling districts the council must seek to ensure that all electors have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances. In addition each Parish must be within a separate polling district.

The Returning Officer must provide a sufficient number of polling stations and allocate electors to the polling stations in a manner in which he thinks the most convenient. Unless there are no suitable facilities available the polling station should be situated within the relevant polling district.

The purpose of the review is:

1. To ensure all electors have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances
2. To seek to ensure so far as is reasonable and practicable, polling stations are accessible to all electors, including those who are disabled

What is a Polling District, Place or Station?

A Polling District is a geographical sub district of an electoral area.

A Polling Place is the geographical area in which the polling station is located. However as there is no legal definition of a polling place it can be as large as the polling district or as small as a particular building, many councils designate the whole of the polling district as a polling place. This allows for flexibility of being able to change the polling station without having to re-designate a specific polling place.

A Polling station is the actual building in which polling takes place, this building should unless there is a very good reason be situated within the polling district.

Though the Returning Officer has the right to use schools if necessary, we do try to avoid using schools whenever possible, unfortunately this is not always possible if there is not suitable alternative accommodation available. We will always work with schools to try and keep disruption to a minimum, and keep the school open on polling day where this is at all practicable.

Though we will always strive to ensure that all the facilities that we use as polling stations are fully compliant with all necessary disabled access this is not alway

A schedule of the existing arrangements that are in place and the facilities we currently use as Polling Stations can be viewed here.  Copies of the schedule and this document will be sent to various organisations and individuals for their comments. Due to the forthcoming boundary review which will be in place for the District & Parish Elections in May 2019 a number of changes to wards and parishes will affect where some electors will vote in these elections. Details regarding the boundary review and the areas affected can be viewed here New Ward Boundaries.

Following the final deadline for comments and observations which is Wednesday 30th December 2018 all representations will be taken into account when making recommendations to change any of the existing arrangements. We will publish our recommendations on this website at the end of the review.

Should you wish to discuss any further aspects of the review please call the Electoral Services Manager Sheena Mortimer on 01858 821366 , or email e.services@harborough.gov.uk. Comments or representations should be sent to the following address –

Richard Ellis
Electoral Registration Officer
C/O Electoral Services Office
The Symington Building
Adam & Eve Street
Market Harborough
Leicestershire
LE16 7AG