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Our Parish Chairman lives in a neighbouring Council Borough and is therefore not on the Electoral Roll for our Parish or Borough Council does this have effect their voting rights.
by (780 points)

1 Answer

+1 vote
As long as they qualify to be a member of the parish council, they have the same voting rights as everybody else. Qualification includes living within 3 miles of the boundary, owning land or property in the parish, working or attending education etc. However, if they were elected whilst a resident and for no other reason, they must resign from the council if they cease to be resident.
by (52.9k points)
Agreed.  Is there anything definitive in terms of legislation / guidance in relation to change in circumstances (i.e moving / no longer employed? Some seem to believe that they are able to continue till the next election (at that point they will not be valid candidate but refuse to resign)
It's difficult to follow the logic here, but the rules are clear. You can be nominated for election under one or more categories, although many people tick only one box. Eligibility under residency ceases on the day you cease to be resident. Eligibility on any one or more of the remaining categories continues until the next election, at which point the eligibility expires.

I presume the same rules apply to coopted candidates, although I haven't seen specific reference to this anywhere.

Incidentally, the place of work criterion includes voluntary work, but it must be your main or only work. Working as a parish councillor qualifies if it meets the "main or only" requirement, but with the caveat that your place of work must be within the parish boundary, so if you are able to work in a parish office, that would suffice, but if you work from your home and it is outside the parish, you do not qualify.

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