Police and Crime Commissioner
Elections - 6th May 2021
ELECTION
THE PROCESS
The Electoral Commission will be responsible for providing guidance and setting out the process of the election. The elections will be run by Local Returning Officers (LROs) in each local authority, with Police Area Returning Officers (PAROs) coordinating across each force area. Both LROs and PAROs are independent officers, appointed from both central and local government.
The Nottinghamshire Police Area Returning Officer (PARO) is Karen Bradford, Chief Executive of Gedling Borough Council. Each Local Authority will have a Local Returning Officer who, along with their Election Officers, will be helping to ensure the smooth running of the election under the direction of the PARO.
The Electoral System
If there are two candidates standing at the election, the Police and Crime Commisioner is elected under the first-past-the-post electoral system, whereby the candidate with the most votes is elected.
If there are more than two candidates the Police and Crime Commissioner is elected under the supplementary vote system. Voters can vote for a first and second choice candidate they want to elect. The ballot paper will list all the candidates and voters will vote for their first choice candidate by marking an ‘X’ in the first choice column and for their second choice candidate by marking an ‘X’ in the second choice column. If a candidate obtains more than 50% of the first choice votes, they will be declared elected. If no candidate obtains more than 50% of the first choice votes, all candidates except for those in first and second place are eliminated. The ballot papers showing a first preference for one of the eliminated candidates are checked for their second preference. Any second preference votes for the remaining two candidates are then added to their first preference votes and the candidate with the most votes is elected.
Each Local Authority will count their own votes and provide these to Rushcliffe Borough Council. Once all the results are collated they will declare who is elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for Nottinghamshire.
Contact the Nottinghamshire PARO
Kath Marriott
Chief Executive of Rushcliffe Borough Council
Rushcliffe Arena
Rugby Road
West Bridgford
NOTTINGHAM
NG2 7YG
Email: kmarriott@rushcliffe.gov.uk
Telephone: 0115 981 9911
WHO CAN STAND
Candidates must be:
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at least 18 years old on the day of your nomination
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a British citizen, an eligible Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of any other member state of the European Union, and
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registered as a local government elector in a local council area that is within the police area of Nottinghamshire, both at the time of your nomination and on polling day
You cannot stand for election if:
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You have a conviction for an imprisonable offence
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You are a serving civil servant, judge, police officer, member of police staff, member of staff of a Police and Crime Commissioner or member of the regular armed forces, employees of councils within Nottinghamshire, employees of a police related agency, employees of other government agencies, politically restricted post-holders, member of police staff or members of the police authority. Members of Parliament and Members of the European Parliament can stand but would need to resign their seat if they were elected
The full range of disqualifications is complex and if you are in any doubt about whether you are disqualified, you must do everything you can to check that you are not disqualified before submitting your nomination papers. Full details can be found on the Electoral Commission website.
If you want to stand for election:
Nominations to stand for election as a candidate for the PCC elections will be accepted by the Police Area Returning Officer at Rushcliffe Arena, Rugby Road, West Bridgford, Nottingham NG2 7YG between the hours of 10am and 4pm from Tuesday 30 March until close of nominations at 4pm on Thursday 8 April.
Completed nomination forms together with the required deposit must be submitted in person to the Police Area Returning Officer at the address and times stated above.
Please contact electoral Services either by (elections@ruschliffe.gov.uk) or by telephone on 0115 981 9911 to make an appointment to have your nomination checked prior to formal submission.
Guidance for candidates and agents is available from the Electoral Commission.
WHO CAN VOTE
To vote in the election voters must be:
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a British citizen living in the UK or registered to vote as a crown servant or amember of the armed services
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a European Union citizen living in the UK
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a Commonwealth citizen who either does not need leave to be resident in the UK, or has the necessary leave and is legally resident in the UK
The majority of voters will vote in their usual polling station.
To find out more about the election, or to register to vote, visit the Electoral Commission website.