The General Election will not close schools in Nottingham the council has decided.
Nottingham City Council said that a decade ago, most schools in Nottingham like elsewhere would close for elections, because Returning Officers have the power to require a school to be used free of charge at any election.
But the council was concerned about the disruption and learning hours lost through complete or partial closure of schools, so a new policy measure has been put in place for this year’s election.
Electoral Services and Education staff have worked with headteachers to find ways of using their premises imaginatively, which would allow access for voters but also meet all safeguarding requirements including using community rooms, sports halls and nurseries.
The new measure introduced for this year’s election means that 10 school premises will be used as polling stations out of 129 venues, with eight remaining fully open and only two having to close their nursery provision.
Plans are in place for this to reduce further following the General Election on December 12.
City Council Deputy Leader and Portfolio Holder for Democratic Services, Councillor Sally Longford, said: “Many councils still use schools as polling stations as it is a simple solution, but a few years ago we started looking at how we could reduce our reliance on schools.
“We wanted to ensure that learning days were not lost and that elections did not negatively impact on school staff, students and families."
Residents eligible to vote are reminded to make sure they are registered by November 26. If they are already registered, there is no need to re-register to vote in the General Election – if they are unsure or want more information they can contact elections@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or call 0115 876 4111.
