Somerset Council is inviting residents entitled to vote to have their say on polling districts and places – broadly where they go to vote.
The consultation opens today (23 July) and voters have until 3 September to take part via the Council’s Polling Districts and Polling Places Review consultation page.
All local authorities must, by law, review all polling districts and polling places used for Parliamentary elections.
The consultation is open to every elector – people entitled to vote – in the administrative area of Somerset Council or the following Parliamentary Constituencies:
- Bridgwater
- Frome and East Somerset
- Glastonbury and Somerton
- Taunton and Wellington
- Tiverton and Minehead
- Wells and Mendip Hills
- Yeovil
A polling district is a geographical area set for election purposes, and electors who live in the same polling district go to the same polling place to vote. The polling place should be within the border of the geographical area, if possible.
A polling place is the whole building or area where the polling station is sited and where voting takes place. There may be more than one polling station inside the same polling place, depending on how many voters need to vote there.
The review aims to make sure voters have reasonable and practical facilities for voting and that, as far as is reasonable and practicable, polling places are accessible to all electors and meet the needs of people with disabilities.
Feedback is welcome, particularly views from people with disabilities. Those making representations should, if possible, give alternative places that may be considered for use as a polling station.
Those who need to know which parliamentary constituency their polling station is in can find this via the consultation page. Printed copies of the consultation will be available at Somerset libraries.
