Shropshire Council

Review of polling districts, polling places and polling stations 2023

In accordance with the Representation of the People Act 1983, the Electoral Administration Act 2006 and the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013, Shropshire Council is required to complete a full review of all polling districts and polling places every five years.

The aim of the review is to ensure that:

  • electors in the parliamentary constituencies have such reasonable facilities for voting as are practicable in the circumstances
  • as far as is reasonable and practicable, the polling places they are responsible for are accessible to all electors, and when considering the designation of a polling place, must have regard to the accessibility needs of disabled persons.

In addition, the Returning Officer is required to submit their own proposals for future electoral arrangements.

The review will not consider changes to division or ward boundaries.

Definitions

Polling district – geographical electoral areas into which wards and constituencies may be sub-divided.

Polling place – buildings or areas designated by the council where electors in a polling district go to vote in person.

Polling station – the number of issuing desks in the building or area that is designated polling place.

How is the review conducted?

The Returning Officer for constituencies within Shropshire, including an area within The Wrekin constituency, will make comments on the existing polling districts and polling places.

In addition, representations are invited from other relevant individuals such as electors within the existing Ludlow, North Shropshire and Shrewsbury & Atcham parliamentary constituencies, elected members, local political parties, MPs, and organisations that have expertise in relation to access to premises for people with different forms of disability.

The final recommendations will be considered at Council on 14 December 2023.

How do I take part?

The consultation period concluded on 30 October 2023.

The consultation period ran from 2 October to 30 October 2023.

Timetable

2 October 2023

  • Publication of ‘Notice of Polling District, Polling Place and Polling Station Review 2023’
  • Publication of existing polling station locations
  • Publication of Council proposals
  • Publication of Returning Officer representations: Shropshire Council and Telford & Wrekin Council
  • Commencement of formal consultation

30 October 2023

  • Conclusion of consultation period

13 November 2023

  • Publication of submissions made during the review process

14 December 2023

2 January 2024

  • Publication of revised register incorporating changes
  • Publication of correspondence following the implementation of changes
  • Publication of locations where the results of the review are available to view

Further information

To find further information about the review, please access attachments under ‘Related documents’ on this page.

You can also view your polling station by clicking General Map on Shropshire Council’s website and select ‘Polling Stations’ from the options within layers listed on the left hand side of the page.

If you require further information about the review, please contact the Elections Officer at the Shirehall via the details on this page.

The polling place review appeals process

Following the conclusion of the local authority’s review, certain persons have a right to make representations to the Electoral Commission.  If, on receipt of such representations, the Electoral Commission find that a local authority’s review did not:

  • Meet the reasonable requirements of the electors in the constituency, or a body of them, or
  • Take sufficient account of the accessibility for disabled persons of a polling station/polling stations within a designed polling place

The Electoral Commission may then direct the authority to make any alternations to the polling places that we think necessary and, if the alterations are not made within two months, they may make the alterations themselves.

Further information on how to make an appeal can be found on the Electoral Commission's website.