On Thursday 10th March 2016, voters in Bath and North East Somerset will go to the polls to decide on the future governance of Bath & North East Somerset Council.
The question which will be asked in the Referendum is:
How would you like Bath & North East Somerset Council to be run?
By a leader who is an elected councillor chosen by a vote of the other elected councillors. This is how the council is run now.
or
By a mayor who is elected by voters. This would be a change from how the council is run now.
You can vote at the Referendum if you are registered to vote, are 18 or over on 10th March 2016 and are a British citizen, a European Union citizen or a qualifying Commonwealth citizen.
Poll cards with details of the referendum and the location of polling stations will be posted to all registered electors during the first two weeks of February.
If you are not yet registered at your current address, you can do it online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Those who would prefer to register using a paper form, can download a registration form from the online registration site or alternatively can request one by calling the Electoral Services Helpline on 01225 477333.
The deadline to register to vote in time for this referendum is midnight on Tuesday 23rd February 2016.
If you can’t go to the polling station on Thursday 10th March, then if you have registered by 23rd February you can apply to vote by post or you can appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf.
The deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on Wednesday 24th February 2016, while the deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm on Wednesday 2nd March 2016.
Dr Jo Farrar, Chief Executive and Electoral Registration Officer for Bath & North East Somerset Council, said: “Only people who are registered to vote can take part in the Referendum.
“People living in Bath and North East Somerset will need to be registered to make sure that they don’t miss out on having their say. Registering is easy and you can apply online in just a few minutes. Your vote matters, don’t lose it!”
Bath’s MP, Ben Howlett, has however expressed concern about the amount of people across the area who aren’t aware of the upcoming referendum.
There are now less than six weeks and still a third of people surveyed by the MP across B&NES were not aware there was a referendum, with 58% stating they have received no information via the mail or local media.
Ben Howlett has been collating the information from his online survey and expressed his concerns: “I know enough people signed the petition to secure this referendum, but I remain concerned at the level of engagement with the process, and how little awareness of the matter there is not to mention the potential impact it could have on how our city is run.
“I am personally concerned that an elected mayor is not appropriate for an area as diverse as Bath and North East Somerset (B&NES) and that it could lead to an increase in the cost of local politics.
“The level of misinformation on this issue is worrying – many people seem to still believe this is about a Mayor of Bath and not understanding it would cover all of B&NES.
“I hope in the coming weeks more information will be forthcoming to enable residents to make an informed decision.”
