Have you returned your community council vote?

Voters in eight community council areas in Orkney are reminded the cut-off date for returning their ballot papers to Orkney Islands Council is this Thursday, 12 October, at 17:00.

Elections are being held in the following Community Council areas:

• Birsay.
• Evie and Rendall.
• Graemsay, Hoy and Walls.
• Kirkwall and St Ola.
• Sanday.
• Shapinsay.
• Stromness.
• Westray.

Everyone aged 16 and over registered to vote in a community council area where an election needs to be held will have received a ballot paper.

To vote, use the reply paid envelope supplied with each ballot paper and post it in time for it to reach the Council by 17:00 on Thursday (12 October) – or drop them off in person to the Council offices in School Place, Kirkwall, by the cut-off.

Voters are reminded to simply place a cross in the boxes beside their preferred candidates. You can vote for as many or as few candidates as you wish, up to the maximum stated on your ballot paper.

Karen Greaves is the Council’s Head of Executive Support. She said: “We’d urge everyone who has received a ballot paper to return it in time to be counted. Community Councils are the lifeblood of feeding local issues, ideas and concerns back to Orkney Islands Council.”

The results will be published on the Council website once all votes have been counted.

Notes:

In addition to the eight community council areas where a ballot will take place, there are four islands which are elected through an alternative system- Eday, Flotta, North Ronaldsay and Papa Westray, due to the small size of the communities. Voters should instead use their ballot papers to name their preferred candidates from within the community.

The remaining nine community council areas had enough candidates to form a Community Council but not more than the number of seats available.