Ryedale District Council will lead on the second Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) Election, which will take place on Thursday 5 May 2016.
- Only 13.3% of the electorate voted in the last North Yorkshire election
The PCC Election covers 41 local police areas outside of London. For the North Yorkshire Police Area, the Cabinet Office has designated Janet Waggott, Chief Executive of Ryedale District Council, as the Police Area Returning Officer for North Yorkshire.
Janet Waggott will take over the role from Kersten England who was the Returning Officer and Chief Executive of City of York Council during the first PCC elections in 2012.
Janet Waggott, Chief Executive of Ryedale District Council, said:
I am delighted to be chosen as the returning officer and the lead authority for the 2016 Police and Crime Commission Election.
Our region is one of the largest geographically in the UK with around 500,000 electors and 800 polling stations, so we’re already gearing up to make early preparations where possible.
The Police Area Returning Officer is responsible for all of the election arrangements, in particular regarding nominations of candidates and the calculating of the final result before announcing the successful candidate at the Result Centre located at Ryedale House in Malton.
Julian Mulligan is the current Police and Crime Commissioner, beating Labour’s Ruth Potter by 47,885 votes to 34,328 votes – only 13.3% of the electorate went to the polls.
Julia Mulligan has confirmed that she will stand for re-election.
Nominations will begin on 31 March 2016 and will end at 4pm on 7 April 2016. The announcement of the ‘official nominated candidates’ takes place on 8 April 2016.
If three or more candidates stand for election, the voting system used will be Supplementary Voting, similar to the one used for Mayoral Elections.
The elected commissioner will decide on the policing strategy, the force budget and will also have a remit to ensure community safety, crime and drugs prevention.
Information for anyone interested in standing as a candidate will be available on Ryedale District Council’s website soon at www.ryedale.gov.uk
More details can also be found on the Electoral Commission website, including the timetable and will be updated regularly at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/
A candidate briefing session will be held on 2 February 2016 at Ryedale House, Malton, North Yorkshire, YO17 7HH, which will detail the qualifications for standing, the nomination process and other relevant details.
City of York Council will be providing support and assistance during the PCC elections.
