Notice of Maesydre by-election published – nominations for new councillor open ahead of election on 18th March

People in the ward of Maesydre will get a chance to elect a new councillor shortly.

The vacancy on Wrexham Council was created when Paul Jones resigned back in September for family reasons.

Back in 2017 Paul Jones was elected with 249 votes, with 565 people taking part in the poll out of 1500 possible voters. Previously there were four candidates, with anyone now keen to stand having until 4pm on Friday, 19 February to get their nomination papers in to the Guildhall.

If there is a contested election a poll will be held on Thursday 18th March, under pandemic election conditions.

You can make sure you are registered to vote via gov.uk/register-to-vote, and you can also apply for a postal vote via this form / process – and Wrexham Council have told us they are accepting scanned copies.

Some third parties may suggest using their forms to register to vote, or register for postal votes, but check carefully what you are opting into via that process.

For candidates that means there is effectively a ban on distributing leaflets door-to-door as it is deemed not a reasonable excuse to leave home. The current guidance states: “In the current circumstances, distributing election leaflets door-to-door is not a reasonable excuse to leave home. Leaflets can of course be distributed safely by post, as mail delivery services continue to operate during the pandemic. Political parties, candidates and campaigners are encouraged to consider the full range of means, including social media, available to them to provide information to the electorate about the election.”

Similarly door to door visits are also against lockdown guidance, “In the current circumstances, campaigning door-to-door is not a reasonable excuse to leave home. Political parties, candidates and campaigners are encouraged to consider the full range of means, including social media, available to them to provide information to the electorate about the election.”

The full notice can be found via this PDF on the Wrexham Council website.