Llandrindod Wells Town Council has ditched a secret ballot and will vote with a show of hands in the future

Members agreed not to have a secret ballot to decide appointments in the future, at the March meeting. 

The resolution will now be taken forward to the annual meeting in May when the standing orders will be reviewed and changed if needed.

It will be effective on all appointments from that item on the agenda, so it will not apply to the  election of chairman and vice chairman for 2025 as they have to be the first items on the annual meeting agenda legally.

The council agreed to look at the nomination and election process for the offices of chairman and vice chairman.

Members agreed to keep the current nomination process where members are issued with two nomination forms – one for the chairman and one for the vice chairman. If they wish to nominate another member for office they approach the candidate and seek their acceptance.

They then have to fill in the form and ask the nominee to sign it before sending it to the clerk before the closing date. The clerk will publish a list of nominations for each office on the annual general meeting agenda.

At the annual general meeting, currently those members nominated or the person nominating them do not speak. Councillors were given three other options – the nominee could speak, the person nominating a candidate could speak or both could speak.

But members agreed to stick to the current system where no-one speaks. 

The vote was tied, with six members voting to allow the nominee and the person nominating them to speak, and six votes for the current no speaking. But Llandrindod Wells Mayor Councillor Marcia Morgan had the casting vote and voted to keep the current process.

Members also agreed that no positive or negative canvassing by candidates, nominators or any other members should take place prior to the annual general meeting.