Use this page to find out about why we have this type of election, and how it works. Select a topic below to read more.
We have local elections to choose the town and parish councillors in our area. Town and parish councillors have the same status, and act within the same legislation.
The activities of local councils fall into three main categories:
- Representing the local community
- Delivering services to meet local needs
- Striving to improve community quality of life and well-being
Town and parish councils are the lowest tier of local government. They are often heavily involved in shaping development in their area, through Planning committees, or in the preparation of a Neighbourhood Plan. This work will often include some delegated decision-making powers, for smaller or simpler planning applications.
Councillors are unpaid and work part-time. They spend time in parish meetings or committees, and talking to local residents to learn about their concerns, or conveying council decisions.
Learn more about your local council
Town and parish councillors serve for a fixed term, and we have an election every four years, normally on the first Thursday in May. The next ones are on 4 May 2023. On this day, there will be town and parish council elections in many parts of the country, and there will also be an election for B&NES councillors.
Your ballot paper
Your local election ballot paper will look a little different from a general election one, in the following ways:
- There are often more candidates in town and parish council elections than in general elections.
- Your ballot paper will tell you how many votes you can make, so read it carefully before voting. In this type of election, the number of votes depends on the number of seats there are in the parish or council. This could be a large number.
- You don't have to use all your possible votes, if you don't want to. So, for example, you may have six votes, but only choose to use three of them.
The result is decided using a 'First-Past-The-Post' voting system: all of the votes are counted, with the candidates with the most votes being elected.
Uncontested elections
It's common in town and parish councils to have some elections which are uncontested (meaning that the number of candidates is not greater than the number of available seats on the council, so no vote is necessary). In these cases, the results will be announced the day after the official Statement of Persons Nominated to stand in the election.
In North East Somerset, there are 3 town councils (Keynsham, Midsomer Norton and Radstock) and 45 parish councils.
View contact details of town and parish councillors and clerks
The last town and parish council elections were on 2 May 2019.
If you're considering becoming a councillor, you can view our guide to Standing as a candidate.