Chance to comment on Review of Highland Polling Districts and Places

Review of Polling Places

Issued on behalf of The Returning Officer

The Highland Council is carrying out the formal review of its Polling Districts and Places. This review is required in terms of the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013 as all polling districts and polling places should be reviewed at least every four years.

All local authorities have to divide their area into polling district for parliamentary election purposes, and to designate polling places for these polling districts.  The aim of the review is to ensure that: -

• All electors in each constituency have reasonable facilities for voting
• So far as reasonable and practical, the polling places that the councils are responsible for, are accessible to all electors.  In considering suitable polling places, councils must ensure that they are accessible for people with disabilities.

A preliminary review was carried out in October 2017 and it gave the Council an opportunity of a longer period of consultation to ascertain stakeholders’ view and opinions, in particular, to undertake a comparison between the original polling scheme used in 2015 with the revised Highland Council’s scheme that was devised in 2017.  

Following the completion of Stage 1 of the public consultation, a total of 34 responses were received.  The Returning Officer has now published his proposals and as part of the formal review, Highland Council is now asking for views and comments from interested people and groups on these proposed arrangements

Proposed Polling Scheme for polling districts and polling places

Representations can be made by completing an on-line feedback form, by post to Election Office, The Highland Council, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX; by email to election@highland.gov.uk or direct by phone on 01463 702945.

The closing date for submissions will be 5.00pm on Monday, 10 December 2018.

All representations will be open to public inspection and will also be published on the Council’s website.  The outcome of the review will then be published on the Council’s website in March 2019.