Elections and Voting

European Parliament

In June 2009 as in 2004 the elections to the European Parliament were conducted under a system of proportional representation called the ‘d’Hondt System’.  Elections to the European Parliament are held every 5 years.  There are a total of 785 members of parliament, with the twelve regions into which the United Kingdom was divided returning 72 members. Powys falls within the Wales region which returns four members to the European Parliament.

The next elections are scheduled to be held in June 2014.

Parliamentary

The County of Powys comprises of two Parliamentary Constituencies: Brecon and Radnorshire, Montgomeryshire.  The House of Commons consists of 646 Members, of whom England returns 529, Wales 40, Scotland 59 and Northern Ireland 18. Elections are under the ‘first past the post’ system.  The last Parliamentary election was held on 6th May 2010 and the next election is due to be held in 2015.

National Assembly for Wales

The National Assembly for Wales held its last elections in May 2011. Each parliamentary constituency returns one Assembly Member under the ‘first past the post’ system. The forty members so elected are joined by a further twenty members elected under a system of proportional representation which is a variation of the ‘d’Hondt System’ in which Wales is divided into five regions, each returning four members. The Montgomeryshire and Brecon and Radnorshire parliamentary constituencies fall within the Mid and West Wales region, while the Clwyd South parliamentary constituency falls within the North Wales region and the Neath parliamentary constituency in the South Wales West region for the election of these regional members. The next ordinary elections for the Assembly are scheduled for May 2016.

County Council

There are 73 electoral divisions in the County of Powys and each returns one member to the Council. The larger towns are divided into a number of divisions; Newtown, for example, returns five members to the Council, while in the more sparsely populated areas of this extensive county many communities may come together to return one member. The Council is re-elected en bloc every four years, and the elections were scheduled to be held in May 2003. However, the National Assembly for Wales was anxious that the county council electoral cycles did not coincide with their own cycle, and the Assembly has used its powers to alter the date of those elections to 10th June 2004. The next ordinary elections for the County Council are scheduled for 2012. Who are the Councillors for Powys County Council

Community / Town Councils

A review of Electoral Arrangements for the Communities in the County of Powys was conducted under Section 57(4) of the Local Government Act 1972 and with effect from the 1st May 2008.  There are now 110 (previously 111) Town and Community Councils in Powys, there is a total of 1,041 (previously 1078) Community Councillors to be elected.  The communities vary widely in geographical area and in their number of residents.  The smallest has 143 electors and seven councillors, while the largest has 8,166 electors and 16 councillors.  Most of the community areas are divided into wards that are represented by a specified number of councillors, thus giving a clearer voice for the residents of a distinctive area within the community.  Many of the councils have retained the ownership of property and land for the benefit of their communities, while others have interests in community facilities, such as burial grounds and community halls.  All act as the voice of their community and are regularly consulted by the National Assembly for Wales or by the County Council on local matters. 

The National Assembly for Wales was anxious that the community council electoral cycles did not coincide with their own cycle, and the Assembly  used its powers to alter the date of the last elections to 10th June 2004. The last ordinary elections for the Community Council were held on 1st May 2008.  The next ordinary electors for the Community Council will be held in 2012

 Clerks to Community/Town Councils within Powys 

Related Links

Election Results

Elections Office