New date set for Hendon election after death of candidate in Sunderland ward

Voters were due to go to the polls in the Hendon ward as part of the May 4 local elections, where a third of seats on the local authority were being contested.

However weeks before election day, businessman, family man and Conservative candidate Syed Ali sadly died. The Echo understands he was 67 or 68.

Tributes were paid to Mr Ali by Sunderland Bangladesh International Centre, who described him as a “wise personality” and an “elder of our city”, along with Labour and Conservative representatives on the local authority.

In line with election laws, voting in Hendon was delayed, with the polls in the remaining 24 seats on May 4 continuing as planned.

The city council has now published a notice for the Hendon election, which will take place on Thursday, June 15.

Candidates who were validly nominated for the original planned poll on May 4, remain nominated for this rescheduled poll.

However nomination papers for additional candidates must be delivered to the council no later than 4pm on Thursday, May 18.

Applications to register to vote must reach the council’s electoral registration officer by 11.59pm on Tuesday, May 30. Applications can also be made online: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Those intending to vote at polling stations need to show photo ID – a new requirement introduced as part of the UK Government’s Elections Act passed last year.

The full list of accepted ID can be found at electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID.

Those that do not have eligible ID can apply for a free ‘voter authority certificate’ at gov.uk/applyforphotoidtovote or by completing a paper form by the deadline of 5pm on June 7.

Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes must reach the electoral registration officer by 5pm on Wednesday, May 31.

Applications to vote by proxy must reach the council by 5pm on Wednesday, June 7 while applications to vote by emergency proxy at the election must reach the council by 5pm on Thursday, June 15.

Candidates from the Labour Party, Conservative Party, Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK originally put their names forward for the Hendon contest.

The new list of candidates, including any additional nominations, will be published once nominations have closed on May 18.

For more information on the Hendon election, visit Sunderland City Council’s elections page here: www.sunderland.gov.uk/elections.