Skip to main content | Skip to section menu | Access keys.

ClacksWeb - Clackmannanshire Council Online

Skip to navigation

Definition of Terms

Polling District and Polling Place Review 2008

To assist us with our review, it will be helpful if we can be sure that there is a common understanding of the words we use in the supporting information. Here, we explain what we mean by the terms 'polling district' and 'polling place'. The terms 'polling station' and 'Returning Officer' are also explained.

Also on this page you will find a brief outline of the process used to identfy and confirm appropriate polling districts and polling places.

Polling District

The area created by the division of a of an electoral ward or into smaller parts, within which we can designate a polling place that is convenient to electors.

Polling Place

The building where polling takes place. A polling place may have more than one station within it.

Polling Station

The area within a room where the poll takes place. Each polling station is allocated a number of voters.

Returning Officer

The individual responsible for the administration of all statutory elections in the area (presently the Chief Executive of Clackmannanshire Council). The Returning Officer will make a formal comment as part of this review both into the existing polling stations and on proposals for change.

Additional Information

How we decide on polling districts and polling places

The legislation covering election administration requires us to adhere to a number of 'ground rules' when considering options for polling districts:

  • Each electoral ward must consist of one or more polling districts;
  • No polling district can overlap into more than one ward;
  • For each polling district, there must be a polling place (all voters in the defined area will use that place); The polling place should be within the polling district.
When it comes to polling places
  • All electors must be provided with 'reasonable' facilities to be able to vote;
  • The place for voting must, as far as possible, be accessible for all electors including those with disabilities;
  • The polling place should be easy to find on polling day and as close to electors as possible;
  • There should not be major physical barriers between voters and their polling station. Major roads, rivers, and railways could therefore be considered as starting points for polling district boundaries unless there are accessible crossing points.
  • Polling places should be within the polling district unless it is not possible to find a suitable place within the area.

The choice of polling place will often be a balance between the quality (access, facilities, etc) of a building and the distances from the homes of the majority of residents. There is no fixed rule on how to decide how this should be done - administrators should show they followed a reasonable methodology in arriving at their choice.

Polling stations

These are different; It is for the Returning Officer to decide on the appropriate number of electors allocated to each polling station, and the number of stations to be in use in each polling place.

For example, UK Parliamentary elections may attract a higher turnout than local government elections so the Returning Officer may split the electorate over more polling stations than he would for another election where the expected turnout might be less.

If there appears to be a need for multiple polling stations in a polling place, it is necessary to consider whether or not the building can accommodate them. Consideration would also be given to the increasing number of electors who now vote by post, and hence the reducing number of personal voters at the polling stations.

Contact information

For further information about this page please contact:

Depute Returning Officer, Chief Executive's Services
Greenfield House, Tullibody Road, Alloa, FK10 2AD
Tel: 01259 452103 / 450000 Fax: 01259 452230
Email:

Or use the on-line contact form.