More Information
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- How can you make a difference?
- What do Councillors do?
- Ever thought of becoming a Councillor?
You choose Ward Councillors to represent you by voting in local elections
Local Councillors are elected for a four year term of office and in Doncaster an election is held each year for one of 3 seats in each of its 21 wards. (A ward is the part of the Council’s area a Councillor is elected to represent). An existing Councillor can seek re-election. In the fourth year there are no elections for Councillors and the election for the Council’s Elected Mayor is held.
A Councillors first duty is to represent the people of the ward in which they are elected. This includes promoting the ward’s interests at meetings and helping people who live in the ward with problems. Over time Councillors gain a wide knowledge of the services provided by the Council and other organisations which they can use to help people.
At meetings of the Council and any meetings dealing with specific services they also have a wider responsibility to consider issues that will not benefit a ward they represent but that will benefit but also the area as a whole. This may sometimes not be popular in the ward they represent and may for example be the best location for a leisure centre or a waste disposal site.
Other areas Councillors may be involved in include:-
The Elected Mayor chooses upto 9 Councillors to act as his Cabinet and take responsibility for delivery of Council services in a particular field called their ‘portfolio’.
Overview and Scrutiny where a panel of Councillors review decisions which have been taken to ensure that they have been reached properly and that quality results have been achieved.
Participating in Neighbourhood Management Schemes
Representing the Council on bodies such as the Police and Fire Authorities and Charitable organisations.
Councillors are committed to working for the people, with the people, and representing your views.
Every day decisions, affecting our lives are taken by Members of Parliament and local Councillors.
You can help choose these people by using your vote.
But you can’t vote if you are not on the Electoral Register.
Get registered!
Whether or not you vote is your choice, but we hope you do!
The Electoral Register is a public document and must be available for everyone to look at.
The published version of the electoral register is held in address order and this is the only way someone can view information on it – you cannot search for someone by name.
The use of the full version of the Electoral Register, where your name and address must be included, is prescribed in legislation these include:
Elections
Law enforcement
Credit reference agencies to check names and addresses, and to help stop money laundering.
There is a second version of the Electoral Register where you can choose whether or not to have your name included. This is the copy of the register that will be available to any person, company or organisation. It can be used for any purpose but this will usually be for commercial activities such as marketing.
If you do not want your name to appear on the edited version, you must tick the ‘Opt Out’ box on the Registration Form.
As long as you are on the electoral register you can vote by post, or appoint a proxy, that’s someone who can take your vote on your behalf.
This means that if you are away for the day, on holiday or just prefer to vote this way, it’s there for you. Just call the Electoral Services Team on 01302 734658, or email them: elections@doncaster.gov.uk they will explain it all to you, and send you an application form.
