Polling district reviews
Current reviews
View information on the current polling district review - Polling District Review 2023
Background information
The reason for polling district reviews
Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is required to divide every constituency situated within its area into polling districts for the purposes of UK Parliamentary elections, to designate a polling place for each polling district, and to keep these under review, as set out in the Representation of the People Act 1983, the Electoral Administration Act 2006, the Review of Polling District & Polling Places (Parliamentary Elections) Regulations 2006, and the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013.
In order to comply with the above legislation Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council is required to complete a full review of all polling districts and polling places every five years. However this does not prevent changes being made at any time prior to the next review.
The arrangements made for United Kingdom Parliamentary elections are also used at all other elections and referenda.
What is a polling district?
A polling district is a geographical area and the legislation requires that each community must be a separate polling district. If the community is large, and in order to provide easy access, the community can potentially be divided into smaller polling districts.
What is a polling place?
A ‘polling place’ is the geographical area, in which a polling station is located. There is no legal definition of what a polling place is. The geographical area could be defined as tightly as a particular building or as widely as the entire polling district. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council has defined each polling district as the polling place rather than a particular building for practical purposes.
What is a polling station?
A polling station is the actual area where the process of voting takes place, e.g. a room in a community centre or school.
How the review is conducted
The Returning Officer will be consulted on the current arrangements and will make representations on the existing polling stations used.
What is not covered by the review
Neither the boundaries of parliamentary constituencies nor the boundaries and names of local authorities and electoral areas within Neath Port Talbot will be part of the review.