Election: what and when?

Information on the different types of election and when they are held.

Next elections:

Police and Crime Commissioner – 15 November 2012
Nottinghamshire County Council - 2 May 2013
European Parliamentary - June 2014
General Election, Borough and Parish - 7 May 2015.

What are the different types of election?

There are different rules for each type of election:

1. Local Government Elections

Elections for the Borough, Parishes and the County Council are held every four years.

Rushcliffe Borough Council Elections

The borough is divided into 28 wards for the purposes of Borough elections, with each ward returning between one and three councillors. The total number of councillors representing the Borough is 50. Borough (or District Councils) can choose between "all out elections" every four years or can opt for annual elections, with one third of councillors retiring each year for three years.

In Rushcliffe, all out elections are held every four years. The last Borough Council election was on 5 May 2011. Local government elections are normally held on the first Thursday in May. The next election is scheduled for May 2015.

Parish/Town Council Elections

With the exception of the urban area of West Bridgford, the whole of the Rushcliffe area is divided into parishes - serving approximately two thirds of the population of the borough. There are 58 parished areas within Rushcliffe. Every parish must have an annual parish meeting, which all local government electors for the parish are entitled to attend.

There are 40 parish areas with elected parish or town councils, returning in total 343 parish/town councillors. Elections for parish/town council elections are held at the same time as borough elections and parish/town councillors are elected for a term of four years.

County Council Elections

The Borough is divided into nine County Divisions, each returning one elected councillor to the Nottinghamshire County Council. County Council elections are held every four years and are normally held on the first Thursday in May. The last County Council election was held on 4 June 2009 and the next one is scheduled for 2 May 2013.

2. European Parliamentary Elections

European Parliamentary elections are held every five years. The last European Parliamentary Elections were held on 4 June 2009, with the next scheduled for June 2014.

Rushcliffe is included in the East Midlands Regional Constituency, which returns five MEPs to the European Parliament. The East Midlands Regions comprises the county areas of Derbyshire, Derby, Leicester, Leicestershire, Lincolnshire, Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Nottingham and Rutland.

3. UK Parliamentary Elections

The maximum period allowed between UK Parliamentary elections is five years. There is no statutory minimum period.

By constitutional law, the timing of a general election is an issue of royal prerogative. Formally, it is the Queen who is responsible for dissolving Parliament by Royal Proclamation. In practice, the Prime Minister will advise the Queen and give him/her control over the timing of the election.

The last UK Parliamentary election was held on 6 May 2010.

On 6 May 2010 the Rushcliffe Parliamentary Constituency boundaries changed. Five Borough wards now fall within the Newark constituency. These are Bingham East, Bingham West, Cranmer, Oak and Thoroton.

Further information

If you need any further information, please contact us.