Somerset Council is inviting voters in the Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge area to have their say on the polling districts and polling places used at election time, with a public consultation now underway until 3rd September.
The review, which all local authorities are legally required to carry out for Parliamentary elections, looks at the geographical areas used for voting and the buildings where polling stations are located.
The aim is to ensure that every elector has reasonable and practical facilities for casting their vote, and that polling places are as accessible as possible, particularly for people with disabilities.
The consultation is open to all electors living within the Somerset Council area and the Parliamentary constituencies of Bridgwater (which includes Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge), Frome and East Somerset, Glastonbury and Somerton, Taunton and Wellington, Tiverton and Minehead, Wells and Mendip Hills, and Yeovil.
A polling district is the defined area in which electors vote at the same polling place, while the polling place itself is the building or location where voting takes place. Some polling places contain more than one polling station depending on the number of voters.
Somerset Council says it particularly welcomes feedback from people with disabilities and encourages anyone making suggestions to propose alternative venues where possible. Printed copies of the consultation are available in Somerset libraries, and voters can check which constituency their polling station falls under by viewing the Polling District and Polling Places Proposals on the consultation page.
Burnham and Highbridge Residents entitled to vote can take part via the Council’s online consultation portal.Â
