Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 2014

PART 2FILLING POSITIONS OF RESPONSIBILITY BY ELECTION

Application of this Part

7.  This Part applies only if the council so decides as mentioned in paragraph 1.

Election to positions of responsibility

8.  At the first annual meeting of a council after a local general election the council must for each term elect a member of the council to hold each position of responsibility.

Vacancies

9.  Where a position of responsibility becomes vacant before the end of the term for which it is held, then, unless standing orders otherwise provide, the council must at the next meeting of the council elect a member of the council to hold the position of responsibility for the remainder of the term.

New positions of responsibility

10.  Where a new position of responsibility arises after the annual meeting mentioned in paragraph 8, the council must for each term elect a member of the council to hold that position of responsibility.

Method of election

11.—(1) Elections under this Part must be by single transferable vote.

(2) A single transferable vote is a vote—

(a)capable of being given so as to indicate the voter’s order of preference for the candidates; and

(b)capable of being transferred to the next choice when the vote is not needed to give a prior choice the necessary quota of votes or when a prior choice is eliminated from the list of candidates because of a deficiency in the number of votes given for that person.

(3) The Department may by order make provision about elections under this Part or any matter relating to them.