Co-option

Co-option is where members of the Council vote to elect someone to fill a casual vacancy. This is done via the following procedure:

• Only Town and Parish Councillors present at a council meeting may nominate, second or vote upon a person to fill the vacancy. At this meeting, members will be informed of the names and addresses of anyone wishing to be considered as a councillor.
• Councillors present at this meeting must then decide if they wish to nominate any of the persons named or any other person known to them. A councillor does not have to nominate any of the persons named. Any councillor may nominate someone for the vacancy, provided that the nomination is seconded, that name may be voted upon.
• Voting for the new councillor is usually by a show of hands, unless any Standing Orders have been adopted, which allow for any other form of voting. If there is only one vacancy, a councillor may only nominate or second one candidate.
• If there is more than one vacancy, a councillor may nominate one person per seat. Each councillor will have only one vote per seat i.e. two vacancies will enable two votes.
• If no single candidate receives a majority on the first vote then the person with the lowest number of votes will be eliminated and voting will take place on the remainder. This process will continue until one person receives an absolute majority.
• The first candidate to receive an absolute majority of those present and voting will be duly elected.
• The successful candidate is then declared co-opted to the Council and summoned to attend the next council meeting where he/she will sign the Declaration of Acceptance of Office to agree to be bound by the Code of Local Government Conduct.

Page owner: Joe Blythman. Last updated: 06/01/2012 11:54