There are four vacancies for councillors at South Cambridgeshire District Council. The vacancies have arisen through a number of reasons and will be contested in the elections taking place on 6th May 2021. The candidates standing for the election to the seats have been confirmed after nomination period closed on 8th April 2021.
Why are there by elections?
The election cycle for South Cambridgeshire District Council changed to 4 years starting in May 2018. The council did not anticipate that seats would become vacant before the next cycle 2022. However fate had other plans.
Two of the seats became vacant following the resignation of two LibDem councillors Phillippa Hart and Phillip Allen. The other two became vacant following the retirement of longstanding LibDem councillor Hazel Smith and longstanding Independent councillor and Chairman of the Council, Dr Douglas de Lacey. They will be much missed.
The candidates standing for election to four vacant seats on South Cambridgeshire District Council have been confirmed after the nomination period closed.
Where are the district vacancies?
On Thursday 6 May, by-elections are taking place for the four vacant District Council seats. These are:
- Girton ward
- Harston and Comberton ward
- Melbourn ward
- Milton and Waterbeach ward
You will find the confirmed list of the candidates standing for each ward on the South Cambs elections webpage.
Other Elections happening?
Yes, several other elections will also take place locally on Thursday 6 May. These include:
- Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Mayoral elections
- Elections for Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner
- Cambridgeshire County Council elections
- Northstowe Town Council, Longstanton Parish and Willingham Parish Council Elections
- Waterbeach Parish Council by-election
Neighbourhood Plan Referendums will also be held in Cottenham and Histon and Impington.
For most people in the district, the main elections will be for the County Councillor, Mayor, the Police and Crime Commissioner.
Can you vote in the elections?
To vote in any of these elections, you must be registered to vote. If you are not registered to vote or have recently moved in to new place then register today. It is quick and simple to register at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote but you must register by the end of the day on Monday 19 April. If you do not register, then you cannot vote in elections in South Cambridgeshire.
To apply to vote by post, you must apply for a postal vote by 5pm on Tuesday 20 April. Also, if you want to apply for a proxy vote, you must ask for one before 5pm on Tuesday 27 April.
To find out how you can apply for postal or proxy votes, follow the guidance on the Council website or call 03450 455 214 for more information if you don’t have internet access.
Covid19 Guidelines
The Polling stations set up will follow Government guidelines on social distancing and hand washing. There will be hand washing stations and plenty of spaces between booths.
Anyone who needs to self-isolate on election day because of Coronavirus, and is registered to vote, will still be able to vote. This will be via new emergency proxy voting measures, even if they have not applied for a proxy vote before the above deadline. Anyone in this situation will be able to access an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm on election day.
South Cambridgeshire District Council’s Deputy Returning Officer, Andrew Francis, said: “If you want to vote in the upcoming elections in South Cambridgeshire, please remember that you must be registered. It’s quick and easy to register to vote online so please don’t wait. Similarly, if you know you will want a postal or proxy vote, please apply for one now. There are strict deadlines to register to vote and apply for postal or proxy votes, so don’t delay. Act now to make sure you can have your say at the upcoming local elections.”