Review of Polling District, Places and Stations 2019
In accordance with the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013, Norwich City Council is required to complete a full review of all polling districts and polling places every five years. However this does not prevent changes being made at any time prior to the next review.
The aim of the review is to ensure that:
- electors in the constituency have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances
- as far as is reasonable and practicable, the polling places they are responsible for are accessible to all electors, and when considering the designation of a polling place, must have regard to the accessibility needs of disabled persons.
In addition, the Acting Returning Officer (ARO) for Norwich South is required to submit their own proposals for future electoral arrangements.
The review will not consider ward boundaries, divisions or parliamentary constituencies.
The Register of Electors is to be published 1 February 2020 with the new polling districts and agreed polling places and stations.
Definitions
Polling district - the geographical area created by sub-dividing a constituency/ward.
Polling place - the designated area for a polling district in which polling stations are located.
Polling station - the actual area where the process of voting takes place, eg a room in a community centre or school.
How the review is conducted?
The ARO was consulted on the current arrangements and made representations and recommended changes to the Polling District Review Working Party.
The working party, made up of seven councillors from each political group at Norwich City Council, considered the ARO's proposals and also took into account responses to the consultation.
They will agree any changes and make recommendations for approval at a meeting of full council on 24 September 2019.
The consultation process
The following consultations are now closed:
- ARO's proposals (28 June to 24 July 2019)
- ARO's revised proposals (26 July to 29 August 2019)
To view any of the consultation documents please contact the elections office below.
Recommendations of the Parliamentary Polling District and Places Review 2019
The recommendations of the review have now been published below.
Due to the General Election on 12 December 2019, the polling district review will come into effect on 1 February 2020.
Notice of publication of revised register of electors
Any new polling district and polling places will become effective at all elections held after the renumbering of the electoral register on 1 February 2020. Electors will be notified when poll cards are sent out for any elections after this date.
View the recommendations, polling scheme and maps
The proposals are available to view in the elections office at City Hall.
Timetable for the review
| Date | Action |
|---|---|
| 14 June 2019 | Publish notice of review and accept comments on existing arrangements. |
| 27 June 2019 | First meeting of the Polling District Review Working Party. |
| 28 June - 24 July 2019 | Publication of Acting Returning Officer's (ARO's) proposals and start of public consultation. |
| 25 July 2019 | Publication of responses to ARO proposals and initial consultation public responses. |
| 25 July 2019 | Polling District Review Working Party to agree on ARO's proposals and amend where required. |
| 26 July - 29 August 2019 | Consultation on revised ARO's proposals as agreed by the Polling District Review Working Party. |
| 5 September 2019 | Polling District Review Working Party to agree polling district review to recommend changes to council |
| 24 September 2019 | Full meeting of council to agree changes |
| 1 February 2020 | Register of Electors to be published with the new polling districts and agreed polling places and stations. |
