By-elections and Casual Vacancies
Casual Vacancies occur when there is a vacant position to become a Councillor in a particular area of the Vale of Glamorgan.
Should any vacancies arise in your Town/Community Council please inform Rachel Starr-Wood and/or Hayley Hanman.
Any further queries or request for further information should be sent to:
Rachel Starr-Wood
Electoral Registration Manager
Hayley Hanman
Electoral Registration Deputy
Electoral Registration Department
Vale of Glamorgan Council
Civic Offices
Holton Road
Barry
CF63 4RU
Candidate Information
Please note the Electoral Registration Department remains impartial for all elections and therefore we do not hold any additional information on any candidates standing. Information available to the public is published on the Notice of Election, Statement of Persons Nominated, Notice of Election Agents (if applicable) and Notice of Poll.
Should you require any further information on a candidate and their campaign you may contact the relevant political party (if applicable), check the local press and social media or search for potential websites set up by the candidate. Campaigning for the election is a responsibility of the candidate and therefore the Electoral Registration Department cannot offer any advice on this.
Casual Vacancy Notices
- The Casual Vacancy Notice runs for 14 days from the date the notice is displayed and gives the general public living in that area the opportunity to call for a By-election.
- If ten or more registered electors within the relevant ward (members of the public) call for a By-election then an election is organised by the Electoral Registration Office and a Notice of Election is displayed.
At this stage, any person interested in filling the vacancy should contact the Electoral Registration Office for a candidate pack. The cost of a By-election is covered by the Town or Community Council.
If a By-election is not called then the Town or Community Council is notified by the Returning Officer to fill the position by co-option as soon as is practicable.
The Town/Community Council must inform the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of the vacancy, providing the name of the Councillor in question, reason for the vacancy and date this occurred. The ERO will produce a Casual Vacancy Notice which is to be displayed in places that are as conspicuous as possible within the Community. The Vale of Glamorgan Council will also display the Casual Vacancy notice in the Civic Offices and on the Vale of Glamorgan website.
During the 14 days of the Notice being displayed, ten electors from the relevant Community or Ward of the Town/Community Council, registered on the Electoral Register can call for an election to be held. This is a legal right available to the electors within the relevant community or ward, as referred to above. To do this they will need to make their request in writing to the Returning Officer, Vale of Glamorgan Council, Civic Offices, Holton Road, Barry, CF63 4RU
In the event of this happening, the Town/Community Council Clerk will be notified immediately. The Returning Officer will decide on the date of the election, which must fall within 60 working days from the date of the Notice.
In the case of a Casual Vacancy occurring within six months before the day on which that Councillor would regularly have retired, an election is not held. The Town/Community Council may co-opt a person to fill the vacancy and any vacancy not filled shall be filled at the next ordinary election. If an election is not requested, the Town/Community Council Clerk will be notified that the:
Town/Community Council must co-opt a member to fill the vacancy as soon as practicable. Where a Town/Community Council intends filling a vacancy by co-option, they must give public notice of the co-option opportunity, as required under S.116, Local Government (Wales) Measure 2011. This must be done by displaying a notice. The name and address of the person co-opted is to be notified to the Returning Officer.
If the number of casual vacancies leaves the Town/Community Council without a quorum, The Vale of Glamorgan Council will order an election to be held and in the meantime may by order appoint people to fill all or any of the vacancies until other Councillors are elected and take up office.
By-Elections
A By-election is when a person is elected as a Councillor in your local area.
By-elections occur if an elected County or Town/Community Councillor resigns, dies or fails to attend meetings. If a Councillor position becomes available then the town or community Clerk for that area will tell us, at the Electoral Registration Office, and we will publish a Casual Vacancy Notice.
You will be notified of any by-elections in your area with an official poll card posted through your door. When you vote, the Candidate (person who wants to become a Councillor) with the highest number of votes will be elected.
You will be notified of any by-elections in your area with an official poll card posted through your door.
When you vote, the Candidate (person who wants to become a Councillor) with the highest number of votes will be elected.
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