Parish Council Elections
Parish Councillors are unpaid elected representatives of the community.
Elections to be appointed to a Parish Council take place every four years. The last elections were held in May 2019 with the next elections due in May 2023.
The number of councillors on a parish council varies depending upon the number of electors in the parish. Keresley Parish is quite small and has seven council seats.
If insufficient numbers put themselves forward at an election those standing for office will be declared elected, the council may then co-opt others to the post of Councillor.
Who Can Vote in Parish Council Elections?
To vote within a Parish Council Election, you must be 18 years of age or over and a British, European Union or Qualifying Commonwealth Citizen.
The Electoral Register (also called the electoral roll or voters roll) is a Government database containing all UK persons names and addresses who have registered to vote.
The 2018 – 2019 register for the parish contains around 650 electors, however not all those included within the register are entitled to vote in a Parish Council Election. For reference, Keresley Parish is area AH within the Bablake Ward.
How Do I Register to Vote?
If you are not certain whether you are registered to vote, you can find out by calling or emailing the Electoral Services Office at the details below.
Tel: 024 7683 3034
Email: electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk
If you find you are not registered to vote, you can register online at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
You will need to provide ‘identifying information’, such as your date of birth and national insurance number when applying and your application will need to be verified with Government records before you are added to the register.
If your details are not matched then you may be asked to provide an alternative form of evidence to prove your identity which can be emailed to electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk.
Who can become a Parish Councillor
The ability to become a Parish Councillor is open to anyone with a desire to represent local residents and able to commit time to participating in the activities of the Parish Council. In addition, prospective Parish Councillors must meet the following criteria.
A candidate must be 18 years of age or over and at least one of the following:
- A UK or Commonwealth citizen
- Citizen of the Republic of Ireland
- Citizen of another member state of the European Union
and candidates must state on their consent for nomination form their qualification for election, which must be at least one of the following:
- During the whole of the previous 12 months they have occupied, either as owner or tenant, land or other premises in the parish.
- Have their principal or only place of work is in the parish
- Must live within 3 miles of the parish boundary
The routes to become a Parish Councillor are either to stand at election as outlined above or via Co-Option.
Co-Option on to Keresley Parish Council
Co-option refers to the process of adding Councillors to Keresley Parish Council without requiring an election to be held.
Co-option is needed either, after an ordinary scheduled election when seats are left unfilled, or after an existing seat becomes vacant.
Where the Council has a quorum, co-option to fill vacant seats that are left unfilled can take place at any time.
The procedure for co-option to Keresley Parish Council is detailed in the policy document below which ensures that the process is open and fair to all.
There are currently two vacancies for the office of Councillor for the Keresley Parish Council. For more information, have a look at this blog post.
Further Information
Download the Keresley Parish Council guidance here.
Visit WALC on how to Become a Councillor
Read the booklet Parish Council Elections published by Coventry City Council.
Read the booklet Elections: who does what published by The Electoral Commission.