Flintshire Council Chief Executive appointed North Wales returning officer for upcoming Senedd election
The Chief Executive of Flintshire County Council has been appointed the North Wales regional returning officers for the 2021 Senedd Cymru elections.
Regional Returning Officers are responsible for the overall management and of the election and responsible for co-ordinating arrangements for the regional poll in their respective Senedd electoral regions.
Their main tasks will be to receive nominations for the electoral region, to announce the results of the regional poll and liaise with the returning officers for the Senedd constituencies in their region to ensure a consistent approach to the administration of the Senedd election throughout their region.
Minister for local government, Julie James, has appointed five regional administrators for the elections which she said will be “particularly challenging.”
The Senedd election will be the first in which 16 and 17 year olds and foreign nationals resident in Wales will be able to vote.
“I would like to thank those who have agreed to take on the role of Regional Returning Officers for this year’s Senedd Cymru elections.”
“These elections will be particularly challenging as they are combined with the Police and Crime Commissioner elections but, more importantly, they will be the first Senedd elections for the newly enfranchised group of young people and qualifying foreign nationals.”
“There is also the additional challenge of ensuring the election can be run safely in light of the on-going pandemic.”
“This is a significant personal commitment for those who have agreed to take on this role and I am grateful we will have the benefit of their knowledge and experience.”
Colin has been influential in shaping the modernisation and reform of local government both nationally in his previous role at WLGA, and latterly regionally and locally as a practitioner Chief Executive at Flintshire.
Colin is a past Chair of SOLACE Wales and has a number of leading local, regional and national roles in Wales including Chair of the Flintshire Local Service Board, Trustee of Theatr Clwyd, Chair of the Wales Elections Coordinating Board as the Lead Returning Officer, and most recently Chair of the regional Recovery Coordinating Group for the Covid-19 emergency.
Colin is an active member/advisor to the North Wales Regional Leadership and the North Wales Economic Ambition Boards, and is Clerk to the North Wales Fire and Rescue Authority and Clerk to the Lord Lieutenant for Clwyd.
The Regional Returning Officers for Wales are;
Mid and West Wales – Eifion Evans, returning officer for the Ceredigion County Council
North Wales – Colin Everett, returning officer for the Flintshire County Council
South Wales West – Phil Roberts, returning officer for the City and County of Swansea
South Wales Central –Debbie Marles returning officer for the Vale of Glamorgan
South Wales East – Michelle Morris, returning officer for the Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council
