Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities
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Moving the date of next year's local elections

Moving the date of next year's local elections

COMMUNITIES AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT News Release (238) issued by COI News Distribution Service. 7 October 2008

Local Government Minister John Healey today announced that the Government will seek Parliament's approval to move the 2009 local elections in England to the same date as the European elections. The decision follows consultation over the summer which showed overwhelming support for the change, including from the Electoral Commission, the Association of Electoral Administrators and the Local Government Association.

Next year's local elections are currently scheduled for 7 May 2009, with the European elections due to take place four weeks later on 4 June 2009. Over three quarters of consultation respondents, including Electoral Administrators and local government felt that this change to the local government election date should be made and that the move had clear benefits.

By avoiding votes on two separate occasions in a month, the 2009 local elections will be more convenient for voters, less costly for the taxpayer and more efficient for administrators.

Local Government Minister John Healey said:

"We want to see a modern, efficient and secure electoral system which is as straightforward for the voter as possible.

"Like in 2004, holding local elections alongside the European elections in 2009 could help boost voter turnout and improve the democratic process. And avoiding two separate elections within a month will be more convenient for voters, less costly for the taxpayer and more efficient for electoral administrators."

Notes to editors

1. Today's draft order laid in Parliament will be debated and must be approved by both Houses and made no later then the 7 November if the change is to made. It also seeks to address a number of technical matters that were raised during the consultation, such as ensuring that, as in 2004, the European election is administered on local government boundaries.

2. According to the Electoral Commission, joining the local and European elections in 2004 greatly improved the turnout rate for the European Parliamentary elections, increasing voters from 24% in 1999 to 34.5% in 2004.

3. The Government launched a consultation on whether the change should be made in relation to the 2009 elections on 20 May 2008, this consultation closed on 11 August.

4. Copies of the Summary of consultees' views and the Government's response is available from http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/localgovernment/movingelections2009

5. Holding the two elections together will make large efficiency savings - costs for venue hire, some publicity, and polling staff will only be needed once, not twice. Therefore, the move should result in savings for the administration of those elections for local authorities and for the Government. It is difficult to provide an accurate estimate of what the total savings will be although the Government's initial considerations indicate that savings in the region of £10 million could be achieved.

6. There are 34 councils where the 2009 election date will be moved. These are: Bedford Borough Council; Bristol City Council; Buckinghamshire County Council; Cambridgeshire County Council; Central Bedfordshire Council; Cornwall Council; Cumbria County Council; Derbyshire County Council; Devon County Council; Dorset County Council; East Sussex County Council; Essex County Council; Gloucestershire County Council; Hampshire County Council; Hertfordshire County Council; Isle of Wight Council; Kent County Council; Lancashire County Council; Leicestershire County Council; Lincolnshire County Council; Norfolk County Council; North Yorkshire County Council; Northamptonshire County Council; Nottinghamshire County Council; Oxfordshire County Council; Shropshire Council; Somerset County Council; Staffordshire County Council; Suffolk County Council; Surrey County Council; Warwickshire County Council; West Sussex County Council; Wiltshire Council; and Worcestershire County Council.

7. There are 4 areas where the 2009 Mayoral election date will be moved. These are: Doncaster; Hartlepool; North Tyneside; and Stoke.

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