The Election
An election to fill the vacancy for the Billinghay Rural Ward of North Kesteven District Council has now been called, following the passing of Councillor Gill Ogden.
If the election is contested, a notice of election will be published on Thursday 9 November 2023 and the poll will take place on 14 December 2023 between 7am and 10pm.
Nominations will open on Thursday 9 November 2023, and anyone wanting to stand for election needs to submit nomination papers by 4pm on Friday 17 November 2023.
To find information for Candidates and Agents, visit our District Council Candidate and Agent information webpage.
Key Election Dates:
Nominations
Prospective candidates can submit nomination papers between 10am to 4pm from Thursday 9 November and Friday 17 November 2023.
Register to vote
You can register to vote on Gov.uk. The deadline to register is midnight on Tuesday 28 November 2023.
Apply to vote by post
You can apply for a postal vote on Gov.uk. The deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm on Wednesday 29 November 2023.
Apply to vote by proxy
You can apply for a proxy vote on Gov.uk for this election only. The deadline for receipt of applications is 5pm on Wednesday 6 December 2023.
Apply for a Voter Authority Certificate
You can apply for photo ID to vote on Gov.uk. The deadline for receipts of applications is 5pm on Wednesday 6 December 2023.
Polling day
7am to 10pm on 14 December 2023.
Information for Voters
You can only vote in these elections if your name is on the Register of Electors for the Billinghay Rural Ward.
The ward covers:
- Billinghay
- Dogdyke
- Martin
- North Kyme
- Timberland
- Walcott
Poll Cards
From May 2023, in order to list the suitable forms of photo ID which are acceptable at a polling station, some poll cards will be A4 size, folded and tabbed on three sides.
Poll cards will be issued to all registered electors as soon as possible after the Notice of Election has been published on 9 November.
If you have not received a card by 17 November it may mean you are not registered. If you have moved in early 2023 you need to ensure you have re-registered at your new address. Please phone Customer Services on 01529 414155 if you have not received a poll card.
Registering to Vote
If you are not sure if you are registered to vote at your current address you can call us on 01529 414155 to check.
The deadline to register to vote for this by-election is midnight on Tuesday 28 November 2023.
You can register to vote online at Gov.uk.
Further information can be found on the Electoral Commission website in the section for Voters.
Voting in Person
For any elector who does not have a postal or proxy vote set up, details of their polling station will be shown on the front of their poll card. Please note that for this election voters living in Martin Dales will need to vote at Martin Village Hall.
Polling stations within the ward will be open between 7am and 10pm on Thursday 14 December 2023.
Voter ID and Authority Certificates
If you intend to vote in person at the polling station, you will be required to show an accepted form of photographic identification (photo ID) before you are given a ballot paper. More information can be found on our Voter ID at Elections webpage.
If you do not have any of the accepted forms of ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate - a free photographic identification document specific for the purposes of voting.
The deadline for applying for Voter Authority Certificate for this by-election is 5pm on Wednesday 6 December 2023.
Postal Voting
If you would like to vote by post, you will need to make an application on Gov.uk. If you are unable to apply online you can download a paper application form from Gov.uk or call on 01529 414155 to request a paper application form be posted to you.
The deadline for applying for a postal vote or to change/cancel an existing postal or proxy is 5pm on Wednesday 29 November 2023.
If you are granted a postal vote, you will NOT be able to vote in person at these elections.
Further information can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website in the section for Voters.
Proxy Voting
If you are not able to vote at your polling station, you can apply to vote by proxy (appointing someone else to vote on your behalf). The person you appoint as your proxy must be registered and eligible to vote. Photo ID is required to be shown when voting at the polling station and your proxy will need to bring their own photo ID to the polling station when voting on your behalf (unless they apply to vote by post on your behalf).
You can apply to vote by proxy for this election only on Gov.uk. If you are unable to apply online you can download a paper application form from Gov.uk or you can call on 01529 414155 to request a paper application form be posted to you.
The deadline for applying for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 6 December 2023.
If you have appointed a proxy to vote in person for you, you can still vote yourself, but ONLY if your proxy has not already voted on your behalf and not voted by post on your behalf.
Further information can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website in the section for Voters.
Emergency Proxy Applications
Applications to vote by emergency proxy, where the emergency has occurred after 5pm on Wednesday 6 December 2023, must reach the Electoral Registration Officer's office in Sleaford by 5pm on Thursday 14 December 2023.
The emergency can only be on the grounds of the elector's own physical/medical incapacity or for work/service reasons.
Further information can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website in the section for Voters.
Statement of Persons Nominated
The Returning Officer is required to publish a Statement of Persons Nominated no later than 4pm on Monday 20 November (this will be added to the downloads tab when available). This will give details of all nominated candidates.
Please Note: The candidates for the election will not be known until this time. We do not have any details or information about any candidates standing for this election. It is the responsibility of candidates to provide and circulate their own election material as part of their election campaign.