Residents across Avon and Somerset Police’s area will have the chance to vote for a new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) today (Thursday, May 6th) on the same day as a by-election is held for a vacant Town Council seat in Burnham-On-Sea.
Residents living in the Town Council ward of Burnham Central can go to the polls and choose between two candidates: Julie Flurry for the Conservatives or Gudka Ganesh for the Liberal Democrats.
The PCC ballot is being held on the same day as the local council elections so that voters can cast their votes at the same time. Polling stations are open from 7am-10pm today.
The PCC elections are held every four years and the position has been held by Sue Mountstevens since 2012. In 2019 she announced that she would not seek re-election.
The candidates for the new Avon and Somerset PCC are:
- Cleo Lake (Green). The former Lord Mayor of Bristol is a founding member of the Countering Colston campaign.
- Kerry Barker (Lab). A barrister who has worked in criminal justice for many years – he came second in 2016.
- Mark Shelford (Cons). Ex-Army officer and councillor. He has promised an immediate review into the efficiency of Avon and Somerset Police if elected.
- Heather Shearer (Lib Dems). She is currently the vice chair of the police and crime panel that scrutinises the work of the PCC.
- John Smith (Independent). The former deputy Police and Crime Commissioner.
The votes for both the Burnham by-election and PCC election will be counted on Friday morning, with the results reported here on Burnham-On-Sea.com.
