Covid: Isle of Man local authority elections delayed again

Local authority elections on the Isle of Man will be postponed for a second time after Tynwald backed delaying them due to the current Covid-19 outbreak.

Polling stations were originally scheduled to open on 23 April 2020 but the elections were moved back 12 months due to the first wave of Covid-19.

A proposed new date of 22 July will be debated at future sitting of Tynwald.

Infrastructure Minister Tim Baker said the delay was needed due to the "risks caused by the pandemic".

It would not be correct to ask candidates “to go door to door at a time when we should all be keeping our distance and staying at home”, he added.

All social distancing measures were scrapped in February following a three-week circuit break in January, but were reintroduced last week following a sharp increase in Covid-19 cases.

The island saw its largest daily rise since the pandemic began on Monday with 110 new positive tests identified, bringing the number of active cases to 419.

Julie Edge MHK supported the motion to delay but said the July date was “a bit premature”.

She added that local elections should be postponed until after the House of Keys general election in September, so authorities would not need to replace members who successfully stood in that contest.

Mr Baker said a delay of much longer could lead to “additional by-elections and casual vacancies”.

Under regulations, the island’s 21 local authorities must fill any empty vacancies unless it is within six months of an upcoming election.

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