News Release

Maidstone council elections

Maidstone Borough Council is considering changing how the council is elected.  This year’s voters registration form, which is sent to every household in the borough, includes a space for every voter in the household to say if they think the council should go to whole council elections and elect all councillors once every four years.

Currently the council holds elections by thirds.  Councillors serve four year terms so the council holds elections for one third of its seats in three years out of four.  There are no council elections in the fourth year which is the year for the Kent County Council elections.

This means that people who live in single member wards are asked to vote twice every four years - once in a borough council election and once in a county council election.  People who live in two member wards are asked to vote three times every four years and people who live in a three member ward are asked to vote every year.  The form sent to electors sets out benefits of both systems.

The benefits of the current ‘thirds’ system include:

• With only one-third of seats contested each year it ensures experienced councillors remain.
• One councillor is elected for each ward at a time, allowing the electorate to focus on the aptitude of particular candidates.
• It is easier for independent and smaller party candidates to stand and be represented when fewer seats are contested.
• Changes in the political direction of the Council are more likely to happen over a period of time, contributing to continuity, as opposed to there being sudden dramatic shifts.

The benefits of a move to a four-year cycle include:

• Political stability, enabling the delivery of long-term commitments.
• Possible reduction of cost to the taxpayer.
• Less potential for voter confusion/fatigue as electors in Maidstone would be voting for all councillors at the same time.
• With all electors voting every elector has an opportunity to vote and to change the political leadership of the Council and therefore its direction.

Cabinet member for corporate services Marion Ring said: “The Council will decide the issue in November having first considered a range of views and opinions.  We want as many people as possible to answer the question on the voter registration form.  The closing date for the consultation is September 30.”

If the Council resolves to change its election cycle to whole Council elections, the election of all councillors would take place in May 2011 and every fourth year after that.

Date:

August 31, 2010

Ref:

RJA/100824