Synodical Government Measure 1969

Elections of Members of Diocesan Synods by Deanery SynodsE

25(1)The elections of members of the diocesan synod by the houses of clergy and laity of the deanery synods in the diocese shall take place every three years, and the members so elected shall hold office for a term [F1of three years beginning with the 1st [F2August] next following their election].

(2)Any clerk in Holy Orders who is a member of the deanery synod or is working or residing in the deanery shall be qualified to be so elected by the house of clergy of a deanery synod, and the electors shall be [F3those whose names and addresses are recorded in the register of clerical electors] other than the co-opted members:

(3)[F4Subject to the provisions of rule 1(3)] any lay person who is an actual communicant member of the Church of England of [F5eighteen years or upwards] and whose name is entered on the roll of any parish in the deanery or who is a lay person declared by the dean to be a habitual worshipper at the cathedral church of the diocese and to be associated with the deanery, shall be qualified to be so elected by the house of laity of a deanery synod, and the electors shall be [F6those whose names and addresses are recorded in the register of lay electors] other than the co-opted members: [F7and members who were elected pursuant to rule 9(1B).]

. . . F8

[F9(3A)The qualifying date for electors under paragraphs (2) and (3) of this rule and when a casual vacancy is being filled shall be 6.00 a.m. on the date on which the nomination papers are issued.

(3B)The register of clerical electors and the register of lay electors shall be open to inspection at the diocesan office and any errors and omissions in the list may be corrected until the close of nominations. Thereafter no names may be added or removed until the declaration of the result of the election and those persons whose names are entered in the register shall be the qualified electors entitled to vote in that election.]

(4)The diocesan synod shall, not later than the [F1031st December] in the year preceding any such election determine the numbers of members to be so elected by the houses of the several deanery synods in the diocese, and the numbers shall—

(a)in the case of elections by the houses of clergy, be related to the numbers of members of those houses in the respective deanery synods;

(b)in the case of elections by the houses of laity, be related to the total numbers of names on the rolls of the parishes in the respective deaneries as certified . . . F11under rule 4:

(5)For the purposes of such determination by the diocesan synod, the secretary of every deanery synod shall, not later than the 1st July in the year preceding any such election, certify the number of members of the house of clergy of the synod to the secretary of the diocesan synod.

(6)The diocesan synod shall so exercise their powers under this rule as to secure that the number of members of the synod is not less than 150 and not more than 270 and that the numbers of the two houses are approximately equal:

. . . F12

[F13For the avoidance of doubt it is hereby declared that the [F14number 270 specified in this paragraph includes] the maximum number of members who may be co-opted by each house or nominated by the bishop.]

(7)Not later than the 31st December in each year preceding any such elections, the secretary of the diocesan synod shall certify to the secretary of every deanery synod the numbers determined under this rule for that deanery synod.

26[F15(1)Elections of members of the diocesan synod by the houses of the deanery synods shall be completed by the 15th day of July, the period and dates of the election being fixed by the bishop of the diocese and communicated to the secretaries of the deanery synods.

(2)The bishop shall appoint the presiding officers for the elections by the houses of the deanery synods, provided that no person shall be appointed as a presiding officer for an election by a house of a deanery synod of which he is a member. The expenses of elections shall be paid out of diocesan funds.

(2A)The diocesan electoral registration officer shall furnish the presiding officer with the names and addresses of the qualified electors and the presiding officer shall ensure that the persons qualified to nominate and vote in elections to the diocesan synod, and only such persons, shall be sent or given nomination and voting papers in respect of the said election at the address entered against their names in the register of electors.]

(3)Every candidate must be nominated and seconded by a qualified elector. A notice in the form set out in section 5 of Appendix I indicating the number of seats to be filled and inviting nominations shall be dispatched to every elector by the presiding officer . . . F16 Nominations in the form set out in section 6 of Appendix I shall be sent to the presiding officer in writing within such period not being less than 14 days as he shall specify and be accompanied by a statement signed by the candidate of his willingness to serve.

[F17(3A)It shall be the duty of the presiding officer within seven days of receiving a written request from a duly nominated candidate in the election to supply free of charge to that candidate one copy of the names and addresses of the qualified electors.]

(4)If more candidates are nominated than there are seats to be filled the names of the candidates nominated shall be circulated on a voting paper in the form set out [F18either in section 7 or in section 8 of Appendix I to every qualified elector. The diocesan synod shall, not later than the 31st December in each year preceding any such election as is referred to in rule 25, [F19make a determination as to which form of voting paper is to be used by the deaneries in that election, and that] determination shall apply to any election to fill a casual vacancy which occurs during the next ensuing three years.]

(5)The voting paper marked and [F20, on the reverse thereof, signed by the elector and with his full name written.] shall be returnable to the presiding officer within such period not being less than 14 days as he shall specify . . . F21No vote shall be counted if given on a voting paper not in accordance with this paragraph.

(6)Where [F22voting papers in the form set out in section 7 of Appendix I have been used and] owing to an equality of votes an election is not decided, the decision between the persons for whom the equal numbers of votes have been cast shall be taken by lot by the presiding officer.

[F23(7)Where voting papers in the form set out in section 8 of Appendix I are used, the election shall be conducted under rules, with the necessary modifications, made by the General Synod under rule 33(4) and for the time being in force.]

[F24(8)]A return of the result of the election shall be sent by the presiding officer to the secretary of the diocesan synod and a statement of the result shall be sent by [F25the presiding officer] to every candidate not later than the 1st [F26August] in each election year.