The election for one of the wards in Neath Port Talbot has been postponed after the death of a candidate. Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC) announced the election for the Port Talbot ward, which was due to take place on May 5, will be rearranged following the death of independent candidate Andrew Tutton. Elections at all other wards in the county borough will continue to take place on May 5.
Returning officer for Neath Port Talbot Council, Karen Jones, said: “We send our deepest condolences to Andrew’s family at this sad time. Legally we must now postpone the election in the Port Talbot electoral ward. I have already contacted the other candidates and will be writing to all affected electors.”
A new date for the election to the Port Talbot ward has been set for Thursday, June 23, and new poll cards will be sent to all affected voters. Voters who cannot make it to the polling station on the new date will be advised on how to arrange a postal or proxy vote. Any already returned postal votes for the Port Talbot ward will no longer count.
Read more: 'The 12 Neath Port Talbot councillors stepping down ahead of May elections'
Postal voters affected will be sent a new postal vote. The new ballot papers will be lilac-coloured to help voters make sure they return the correct one. Other candidates who were preparing to stand for Port Talbot on May 5 alongside Mr Tutton include independent candidate Kimberley Isherwood; Saifur Rahaman and Sharon Freeguard for Labour; and Plaid Cymru's Melissa Stanford-Roberts.
Candidate nominations will re-open for a set period between Wednesday May 18, and 4pm on Wednesday, May 25. All other candidates remain validly nominated and will be included on the ballot paper.
