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By-elections and Casual Vacancies

Current vacancies

Casual vacancies

There are currently no casual vacancies for Vale of White Horse District Council.

By-elections

Abingdon Abbey Northcourt District ward and Abingdon Abbey Parish – 12 March 2026

Candidate expenses:

Please ensure expenses are submitted (including nil returns) by the deadline of 16 April 2026.

Guidance and spending return forms for district elections can be found on the Electoral Commission page here, and guidance and spending return forms for parish elections can be found here.

Key dates:

  • Nomination period – 10am 5 February to 4pm 13 February
  • Registration deadline – midnight on 24 February
  • Postal vote deadline – 5pm 25 February
  • Publication of Notice of Poll & Situation of Polling Stations – 4 March
  • Proxy vote & Voter Authority Certificate deadline – 5pm 4 March
  • Deadline to appoint poll and count agents – 5 March
  • Day of poll – 7am to 10pm 12 March 2026

Stanford District Ward – 26 March 2026

Key dates:

  • Nomination period – 10am 19 February to 4pm 27 February
  • Registration Deadline – midnight on 10 March
  • Postal Vote Deadline – 5pm 11 March
  • Publication of Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations – 18 March
  • Proxy Vote & Voter Authority Certificate Deadline – 5pm 18 March
  • Deadline to appoint poll and count agents – 19 March
  • Day of Poll – 7am to 10pm 26 March

Candidate expenses:

Expense limit for Stanford (District)

Please ensure expenses are submitted (including nil returns) by the deadline of 30 April 2026.

Guidance and spending return forms for district elections can be found on the Electoral Commission page here.

What is a by-election?

By-elections can occur in any division, ward or parish if a serving councillor resigns, dies or is disqualified, thereby creating a ‘casual vacancy’.

When a casual vacancy arises, the relevant council must publish a “Notice of Vacancy”. If a by-election is to be held, requests to fill the vacancy must be made in writing to the Returning Officer, fulfilling the criteria below: 

  • For a district council vacancy a request for an election must have the signatures of two electors registered within the District.
  • For a parish or town council vacancy a request for an election must have the signatures of ten electors registered within the parish or parish ward (where warded), to be received before the deadline stated in the Notice of Vacancy.

The Returning Officer for Vale of White Horse District Council is Steven Corrigan. 

If a sufficient number of requests are received, a Notice of Election will be published including the proposed date of poll, which signals the beginning of the nominations period. If we receive more nominations for the vacancy than the number of seats available, a poll will be held. A Notice of Poll will subsequently be published and advertised on our website and at our council offices in Abingdon.

The candidate elected at the poll will then serve the remainder of the term in office until the next election. 

However, if a vacancy occurs within six months of the date of the next scheduled elections, the vacancy is carried over to the next elections. The seat will remain vacant during that time and no by-election will be held.

What happens if no candidates are nominated?

If we do not receive any candidate nominations for a by-election, the by-election must be re-run until we receive either the exact number of nominations to fill the vacant position(s), or receive more nominations than are required.

If we receive the exact number of nominations to fill the vacant position(s), the candidates are elected uncontested.

For parish clerks

Guidance for parish clerks about the process is available by following this link.

Contact us - Electoral services

01235 422422
(Text phone users add 18001 before dialling)

elections@southandvale.gov.uk

Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House
Abbey Close
Abingdon
OX14 3JE

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