Residents in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge will not be going to the polls this May to elect a new Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) due to the outbreak of Coronavirus.
Local elections across England have been postponed for a year to May 2021 due to concerns about the pandemic.
Downing Street said it would be “impractical” to hold elections as planned, as they would come during what is expected to be the peak of the spread of the virus.
While no town, district or county council elections were due in Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge this year, the police and crime commissioner election was scheduled to go ahead.
The Electoral Commission said this week that the elections should be delayed until the autumn to “mitigate” the impact of the virus.
Responding to the news, one of the PCC candidates, John Smith, independent candidate for Avon & Somerset, said: “The news that the PCC elections have been postponed for a year is understandable in these unprecedented circumstances, but the health of the public and all those who work in our local authorities must come first.”
