Those who were temporarily away from their ordinary address (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) were also entitled to vote in the local elections,[1] although those who had moved abroad and registered as overseas electors cannot vote in the local elections.

It is possible to register to vote at more than one address (such as a university student who had a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) at the discretion of the local Electoral Register Office, but it remains an offence to vote more than once in the same local government election.

[2] In 2012 the Local Government Boundary Commission for England recommended a number of ward boundary changes, creating a number of new wards and combining others, to improve the electoral equality across the county.

They were however able to continue to govern in a minority administration with the support of three of the four independent councillors – Lynda Atkins, Mark Gray and Les Sibley.

[5] The support of these three independent councillors gave the Conservatives an overall majority of 34 out of 63 seats.