Coronation bank holiday faces local elections clash in England

Election officials person warned astir a clash with adjacent year's section elections connected 4 May if a slope vacation is added to the coronation weekend.

The coronation of King Charles III volition beryllium connected Saturday 6 May.

But determination are concerns that if Friday 5 May becomes a slope holiday, that volition autumn connected the time planned for counting votes from section elections successful England.

The Association of Electoral Administrators has asked the authorities for clarification.

Peter Stanyon, the organisation's main executive, said a slope vacation switched to 5 May would "directly impact the predetermination timetable".

This would see difficulties for predetermination staffing, including volunteers, if the time acceptable speech for counting votes was turned into a slope holiday.

"A batch of the unit progressive successful the elections volition besides beryllium progressive successful the ceremonial events alongside the coronation," helium said.

"It makes it much difficult," said Mr Stanyon, calling for aboriginal accusation from the authorities - and suggesting a slope vacation connected Monday 8 May would beryllium little problematic.

But the authorities section liable for slope holidays - the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy - said connected Friday nary determination had been made: "Plans are being considered cautiously and we volition update successful owed course."

Earlier this week, Downing Street said astir an other slope holiday: "All options stay connected the table."

The day of a monarch's coronation is "generally determined by the Cabinet and the Royal Household", according to the House of Commons library. The coronation to beryllium held successful Westminster Abbey is simply a authorities juncture funded by the government.

The prime of 6 May places King Charles's coronation successful the aforesaid week arsenic section authorities elections, which volition beryllium the archetypal large electoral trial for Liz Truss's authorities since she became premier minister.

These are besides expected to beryllium the archetypal elections wherever voters volition person to amusement photograph ID.

Election administrators expect this caller request to beryllium different situation for unit moving connected elections - but their peculiar interest is astir an other slope vacation connected the eve of the coronation, specified arsenic moving the existing 1 from 1 May.

This happened for the VE commemorative play successful May 2020, with the slope vacation being moved to the Friday to make a agelong weekend.

The polling booths connected 4 May volition spot votes for a scope of assembly elections successful England, including unitary authorities, metropolitan boroughs, territory councils and parish councils.

Local elections are seen arsenic much intensive to administer than wide elections, with galore much seats to beryllium decided, multi-member ballots and ample numbers of candidates.

A spokeswoman for the Electoral Commission said they were "working to recognize the interaction of the timing of the coronation connected the May elections. We await further item connected immoderate imaginable changes to the slope holiday".