Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

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Publishing the notice of situation of polling stations

You must, not later than the publication of the notice of poll, publish the notice of situation of polling stations. It must give public notice of:1

  • the situation of each polling station in the area
  • the description of voters entitled to vote there

As local RO, you are responsible for publishing the notice of situation of polling stations. 

You should liaise with the CARO/CCARO on how the provision of the notice of situation of polling stations to candidates, agents and observers should be managed in practice, including whether the notices for all constituent councils will be disseminated centrally by the CARO/CCARO.

You should have robust proof-checking processes in place to ensure that there are no errors on the notice of situation of polling stations.

You can find more information about proof checking in our quality assurance guidance, and you can find a quality assurance checklist here.

Quality Assurance Guidance for ROs (Generic) (PDF)

You must give a copy of the relevant notice of situation of polling stations and descriptions of voters entitled to vote there to all election agents as soon as practicable after giving the notice.2

You should also give a copy of the relevant notice to all candidates. 

You should also be prepared to make these notices available to any accredited observers on request.

Last updated: 14 March 2024