VOTERS across Worcester are being asked how often they think elections should take place.
City Council elections are currently held three years out of every four, with a third of its 35 councillors elected each year. Worcestershire County Council’s election is normally held in the ‘off’ year.
Any changes will not be immediate with the 2022 local elections scheduled for May 5 in the city including in seats such as the Tory stronghold of Battenhall.
City councillors are set to consider whether to move to holding a single election once every four years, with all seats being elected at the same time – and they want to hear what residents think before they decide.
A three-week consultation has been launched at www.worcester.gov.uk/voiceit to give the public the change to have their say. The deadline to respond is 5pm on Sunday, February 13.
The city council is considering changing its electoral cycle ahead of a review by the independent Boundary Commission, which will consider changing its number of councillors and the electoral ward boundaries.
The Boundary Commission is a national body which reviews all local councils on a periodic basis to make sure they have an appropriate arrangement of electoral wards and number of councillors for their populations.
The results of the public consultation will be taken into account when the full council meets on 22 February to decide whether to change its electoral cycle.
The City Council is under no obligation to make a change, but any decision that councillors make will be factored into the Boundary Commission’s review, which will launch later this year.
Visit www.worcester.gov.uk/voiceit for more.
