6 November 2025 District Council by-elections
Following the resignations of District Councillors Emma Louise Oldham and Adrian Charles Amer, a request has now been received to fill the vacancies for the Balderton North & Coddington Ward and Castle Ward of Newark & Sherwood District Council by a poll. By-elections are due to be held on Thursday 6 November 2025. If contested, polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm. Poll cards will be sent to registered voters who are eligible to vote in these elections. You can only vote if your name is on the Register of Electors.
Voters will need to show photo ID to vote in person at polling stations this/these elections. More information can be found at https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id.
If you do not have an accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate, online at https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate. Applications should be made online or a form completed and returned to us by 5pm on Wednesday 29 October 2025 to receive your ID for these elections. If you cannot apply online, please contact us.
We can also help you to make an application if you visit us at Castle House or Ollerton Advice office. We will need to check you are registered to vote and you will just have to provide your date of birth and national insurance number.
If you do not wish to vote in person, you can apply to vote by post, no photo ID is required.
Registering to vote
The current register was last updated on the 1 September 2025, from responses to the household annual registration forms sent out to all properties from August 2025 and successful applications to register. If you are not registered to vote, have recently moved address, changed your name or nationality, you can apply to register online.
Your application should be made online or a form completed and returned to us by Tuesday 21 October 2025 to register for these elections. If you cannot register online, please contact us. If you are already registered correctly, you do not need to register again for these elections.
Postal and Proxy voting
Postal voting
If you would like to vote by post, you can now apply to vote by post online and this application must be submitted by 5pm on Wednesday 22 October 2025 if it is to be effective for these elections.
If you are unable to apply online, a paper application form is available from the Electoral Commission’s website at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter. This paper application form should be completed and returned to us by 5pm on Wednesday 22 October 2025 if it is to be effective for these elections. This form must not be completed with an electronic signature. You can complete and return this form to us by post or scan the completed form and email to: voting@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk. If you cannot print a form, please contact us.
You will need your National Insurance number to hand when applying to vote by post.
If you are granted a postal vote, you will not be able to vote in person at these elections.
Postal ballot papers should be delivered by the following dates: -
- Friday 24 October 2025 or Monday 27 October 2025 if we receive the completed application by Wednesday 15 October 2025.
- Monday 27 October 2025 or Tuesday 28 October 2025 if we receive the completed application between Thursday 16 October 2025 and 5pm on Wednesday 22 October 2025.
If you are away around these dates, we may be able to send your postal vote to a different address. You should contact us to see if this is possible. Alternatively, you could appoint a proxy who could vote on your behalf at your polling station.
Proxy voting
If you would like to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf, in some circumstances you can now apply for a proxy vote online and this application must be submitted by 5pm on Wednesday 29 October 2025 if it is to be effective for these elections.
If you are unable to apply online, a paper application form is available from the Electoral Commission’s website at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter. This paper application form should be completed and returned to us by 5pm on Wednesday 29 October 2025 if it is to be effective for these elections. This form must not be completed with an electronic signature. You can complete and return this form to us by post or scan the completed form and email to: voting@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk. If you cannot print a form, please contact us.
You will need your National Insurance number to hand when applying to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf.
Appointing an emergency proxy
If you have become unable to vote in person since the deadline to apply to appoint a proxy at Wednesday 29 October 2025 because of either illness, due to employment, or based on photo ID, you can apply for an emergency proxy. This application form should be completed and returned to us by 5pm on polling day if it is to be effective for these elections. This form must not be completed with an electronic signature. You can complete and return this form to the address shown on the form or scan the completed form and email to: voting@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk.
Candidates
If you intend to stand as a candidate, you must complete a nomination paper, consent to nomination and any other relevant forms contained in the Candidates Nomination Pack (PDF File, 428kb). These should be submitted by 4pm on Friday 10 October 2025.
A prospective candidate may request a prepared nomination paper for signature. If so, please contact the Elections Office on 01636 655222 or 01636 655243 or by email at voting@newark-sherwooddc.gov.uk.
A guide for candidates and election agents is available to download from the Electoral Commission’s website.
Notice of Election
The Notice of Election was published on Thursday 2 October 2025 and publicises the elections, gives the date in which prospective candidates must submit a nomination paper and consent to nomination.
Balderton North & Coddington Ward Notice of Election (PDF File, 131kb)
Statement of Persons Nominated
The Statement of Persons Nominated (PDF File, 57kb) was published on Monday 13 October 2025.
Notice of Election Agents
The Notice of Election Agents (PDF File, 58kb) will be published as soon as possible following the close of nominations.
Notice of Poll, including polling places
The Notice of Poll (PDF File, 62kb) will be published, no later than Wednesday 29 October 2025. This notice gives details of the remaining validly nominated candidates following last date for a candidate to withdraw and the polling places to be used.
Counting of the votes
Firstly, the ballot boxes will be verified to ensure that the number of ballot papers in each box is the number that has been issued. Postal ballot papers that are to be included in the count will also be verified. Once all votes are verified, the ballot papers will be sorted and counted for each candidate.
The verification of the ballot boxes and counting of the votes will take place at Castle House, Great North Road, Newark, NG24 1BY, following the close of poll on Thursday 6 November 2025.
The Declaration of Result of Polls will be published as soon as possible following the count.