Election to seat postponed after death of candidate

An election for a Nottinghamshire County Council seat will be rearranged following the death of a candidate.

Votes were due to be cast for Mansfield North on 1 May, but it will now take place on a different date after the death of Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate Karen Seymour.

Nottinghamshire County Council said all other polls on 1 May will go ahead as planned and a new date for the election for the two division seats is being arranged.

The authority added that new poll cards will be sent to all affected voters once the date has been set.

Adrian Smith, returning officer for Nottinghamshire County Council and James Biddlestone, deputy returning officer for Mansfield District Council, said: "We send our condolences to Karen Seymour's family at this sad time.

"Legally, we must now postpone the election in Mansfield North.

"We have already contacted the other candidates and will be writing to all affected electors."

Any postal votes which have already been sent for the election will no longer count and postal voters will be sent a new paper.

The new ballot papers will be yellow to help voters make sure they return the correct one, the council said.

Candidate nominations will reopen for a set period once the new date is announced and all other previous candidates remain validly nominated and will be included on the ballot paper.

You can find out who is standing in your area for county council elections on the BBC website.

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