Frequently Asked Questions About Voting and Elections

On this page you will find all sorts of frequently asked questions regarding the Electoral Register.  Please click on a "quick link image" below to be taken directly to the information you need.

When do elections take place ?

Electoral Shared Services administer all elections in the Bromsgrove area as instructed by the Returning Officer.

There are different types of Elections, these are:  District Council Elections, Parish Council Elections, County Council Elections, Parliamentary Elections, By-Elections and European Parliamentary Elections.  You will also find information about Referendums on this page.

District Council Elections

These take place every four years, on the first Thursday in May. The last District Council elections took place on 5th May 2011, the next District Council elections are scheduled for 7th May 2015. 

Bromsgrove is divided into 23 Wards, each with their own polling district(s) and polling station(s), some areas are also represented by a parish, each of the areas fits into a County Division. 

There are 39 Councillors on Bromsgrove District Council.

To view a detailed map of your area, parish or polling station, visit the Elections Maps Website, which is provided by Ordnance Survey.

You can find out who your local councillor is by clicking Find My Local Councillor

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Parish Council Elections

These take place every four years, on the first Thursday in May. The last Parish Council elections took place on 5th May 2011, the next Parish Council elections are scheduled for the 7th May 2015. 

There are 19 Parish Councils within Bromsgrove District Council represented by 175 Parish Councillors.

You can also find your local councillor by clicking Find My Local Councillor

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County Council elections

For representation on Worcestershire County Council, the Bromsgrove area is split into 9 electoral divisions.

These divisions are each represented by 1 County Councillor.

Elections for County Councillors take place every four years, usually on the first Thursday in May. The last County Council elections took place on 4th June 2009.  The next County Council Elections are scheduled for 2 May 2013.

You can also find your local councillor by clicking Find My Local Councillor

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By-Elections

If a Local Councillor resigns or dies the ‘seat’ becomes vacant and a by-election may be called to find a replacement. A by-election can happen at any time provided the vacancy occurs at least six month prior to the date for normal elections. Details of any current elections will be posted on the Bromsgrove Electoral Services web site.

For Parish Councils, where a vacancy occurs, a by-election is not always called and the vacancy may be filled by 'co-option'.  Please see our Parish Council Casual Vacancy page for details of current vacancies.

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Parliamentary Elections

Parliamentary elections, in which you vote for a Member of Parliament, must take place within five years of the previous parliamentary election. The last general election took place on 6th May 2010.  If an MP dies or resigns a by-election would be called.  The next UK Parliamentary election is scheduled to take place on 7 May 2015.

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European Parliamentary Elections

These are held every five years. These elections decide who will represent you in the European Parliament for the West Midlands region. The last election took place on the 4th of June 2009.  The next European Parliamentary Election is scheduled to take place in June 2014.

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Referendums

There are a number of different types of Referendums that can take place.  National Referendums and other Local Referendums.  The most recent referendum was the National Referendum on an alternative voting system for UK Parliamentary elections, this was held on 5th May 2011. 

For information regarding the types of referendums, please read the referendum Fact Sheet

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Where do I vote ?

You can either vote in person for the address at which you are registered, at your polling station, or if you prefer you can apply to vote by post .  In certain circumstances you can arrange for someone to vote on your behalf.  

We hire village halls, community halls etc to try to ensure that you do not have to travel too far to your Polling Station. You will be sent a Poll Card shortly before an election. This Poll Card will tell you where you have to go to vote.

To view a detailed map of your area, parish or polling station, visit the Elections Maps Website, which is provided by Ordnance Survey

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Where is my Polling Station?

Below is a list of our Electoral Areas, with links to your polling station Maps

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How can I get Electoral forms in - large print / Audio / or different languages ?

Either contact Electoral Services on 01527 881 421, email elections@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk, or visit the Electoral Commission website for further details.

How can I contact my local representative?

To find details of your local parish council, district and county councillors or Member of Parliament (MP) visit My Local Area.

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