Uncertainty surrounds county council elections

Uncertainty surrounds elections for North Yorkshire County Council ahead of polling day in May.

Ministers gave the go ahead for local elections after polls were postponed last year due to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the county council has asked the government to delay elections until next year because of the impending wholesale restructuring of local government in North Yorkshire.

Voters are set to go to the polls on May 6 to cast their ballots for local councillors and police and crime commissioners.

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Under government guidance, people who vote in person will have to wear a face covering at polling booths and bring their own pen to mark their ballot paper.

However, ministers have encouraged those who are shielding, or prefer not to attend a polling station, to apply for a postal or proxy vote.

In a written statement, Chloe Smith, minister for the constitution and devolution, said the government has set out a plan for elections to go ahead in a covid-secure way.

Ms Smith added that £92 million of grant funding will be given to local authorities to help run the elections.

She said:

“Safe and secure elections are the cornerstone of our democracy. 

“The government has long been clear that there should be a very high bar for delay, but it was responsible to keep the situation under review in order to take into account the views of the electoral community and of public health experts.”

Elections for North Yorkshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner will go ahead as normal, with the candidates set to be confirmed on April 9.

But whether or not the county council will hold its elections remains uncertain.

Officials at the authority requested that its election be postponed when they submitted proposals for a single unitary authority in December.

County council bosses said in the proposal:

“In submitting this proposal, we include a request to postpone the county council elections from May 2021 to May 2022 regardless of whether the new unitary authority commences April 2022 or 2023.

“Ideally, the government will have announced the new governance structures prior to the publication of the notice of election, so that the electorate can be clear what organisation they are electing members to serve.

“This may not be possible if the election takes place in May 2021.”

It comes as the government is expected to go to consultation on council reorganisation this month.

The Stray Ferret asked the county council whether its elections will be be going ahead this year, but had not received a response by time of publication.

The deadline to register to vote in the May elections is April 19. You can register to vote here.