Agenda item

Elections to Single Vacancies – Proposing a change to the way in which candidates are elected by the Court of Common Council to single vacancies on committees and outside bodies.

19 November 2015

(B) Elections to Single Vacancies

Following the various ballots for places on Committees undertaken at the 23 April meeting of the Court of Common Council, the suggestion was made at a meeting of the Policy and Resources Committee that alternative voting arrangements should be explored. This was with a view to achieving a fairer and more open democratic process and one that would ensure that those elected had a significant proportion of support from the full Court.

The Policy and Resources Committee had since considered a number of potential systems and was minded that the introduction of an Alternative Vote (AV) system for electing to single vacancies on committees would increase the fairness of the process. This report provided an explanation as to the practicalities and advantages of an AV electoral method and detailed how such a system would work and recommended its adoption for elections to single vacancies.

Resolved – That the implementation of an Alternative Vote system be agreed for Court of Common Council elections to single vacancies, with the requisite amendments to Standing Orders approved as set out at Appendix 2