The Notice of Election for December’s General Election has been published today (Friday 8 November).
The Notice is available to view here on General Election - 12 December 2019 web page
John Mundell, Returning Officer for the Orkney and Shetland constituency, said: “This will be the first December General Election since the 1920s and, in our election planning, we are considering carefully the potential impact of severe winter weather.
“We will do all we can to put contingency measures in place, but the risk of disruption will be significantly higher at that time of the year. Voters, for instance, may find it more difficult to get to their local polling station.
“If people have concerns about this, we would encourage them to think about registering for a postal vote. It’s something they might suggest as well to family members, friends and neighbours who may be worried about getting out to vote on the day.”
The advice for people wishing to use a postal vote is to apply as soon as possible by contacting the Electoral Registration Office at 8 Broad Street, Kirkwall - phone 01856 876222 or send an email to ero@orkney.gov.uk Postal votes can be for a single election, or for subsequent elections as well.
People already registered to vote by post do not need to apply and will receive postal voting packs later in November.
The Electoral Registration Office can also give advice to people wishing to apply for a Proxy Vote – where a nominated person votes on their behalf.
To apply for a postal or proxy vote, people need to ensure they are on the Electoral Register.
If you are unsure about whether you are registered to vote at your current address, contact the same office for help. If you have recently moved address and have not registered yet, you can do this online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Nomination papers from candidates wishing to stand for election for the Orkney and Shetland seat can be submitted from Monday 11 November until Thursday 14 November between 10:00 and 16:00.
Nomination papers can be obtained from the Election Office, School Place, Kirkwall, Orkney. To make an appointment, contact the Election Team on 01856886350.
Completed nomination papers require a £500 deposit and signatures from the nominee, a proposer and eight seconders.
Voting in the General Election takes place on Thursday 12 December at polling stations across the country between 07:00 to 22:00.
Votes will be counted at Kirkwall Grammar School, with Shetland’s ballot boxes transported to Orkney after the close of poll. It is expected that a result for the constituency will be declared around 06:00 on Friday morning (13 December).
