Notice Of Parish By-Election for Ash Wharf Ward

Guildford Borough Council (GBC) has issued a notice that there will be a By-Election for Ash Wharf Ward on Thursday 10 February 2021. Those persons interested in standing for election must have their nomination submitted by Friday 14 January 2022. If the election is contested, the poll will take place on Thursday 10 February 2022 between 07:00 and 22:00. The Election has been called following the resignation of Ed Schofield who told Ash Parish News that he felt unable to continue his role as councillor following the growth of his business and charity work for the Topic of Cancer.

How are By-Elections called?

When a councillor’s seat becomes vacant the Parish Clerk will notify GBC. The Clerk will display a Notice of Vacancy in the parish area. The notice explains that an election can be called by a request made in writing to the Borough Council’s Proper Officer by 10 electors from the parish ward area, within 14 working days of the date of the notice.

If an election is called it must be held within 60 days of the notice. If no request is received to call an election then the Parish Council may then co-opt someone into the vacant seat. This means that the Parish Council can choose by a council vote who they wish to appoint to fill the seat rather than holding an election with its associated costs.

The Notice of Vacancy must run its course before the Parish Council have the opportunity to co-opt a new councillor and this gives the electors of the parish a chance to call an election if they wish to. If the vacancy occurs within 6 months of the date of the next scheduled elections for that council then no election is held, and the seat may remain vacant until it is filled at the next elections, or the council may choose to co-opt into the vacant seat.

Who pays for By-Elections?

The cost of holding an election is met by the Council holding the vacancy. In this case Ash Parish Council. That council uses the funds it receives via the Precept (Council Tax). The Precept is a tax that Parish Council’s charge their local electors / residents to meet their budget requirements. Parish Councils do not receive any direct funding from the central government and rely on their Precept plus any other income they generate from services or facilities they provide.

The last contested By-Election is reported to have cost around £5,500 which covered the hire of polling stations, cleaning, polling day staff, count costs, production and posting of poll cards, the printing of ballot papers, and return postal vote costs.