In politics, a casual vacancy (casual in the sense of "by chance") is a situation in which a seat in a deliberative assembly is vacated during that assembly's term. Casual vacancies arise through the death, resignation or disqualification of the sitting member.

Casual vacancies have the effect of eliminating or reducing representation for the member's constituency. Accordingly, many jurisdictions provide by law for the speedy filling of vacant seats.

Casual vacancies can also occur in non-governmental assemblies, such as boards of directors and committees of voluntary organisations.

Australia

New Zealand

As of 2008, the New Zealand House of Representatives has 70 seats whose members represent geographical constituencies, and a further 52 seats selected from party lists. A vacancy in any of the 70 "electorate seats" is filled through a by-election. The writ for the by-election must, in most circumstances, be issued within 21 days of the notification of the vacancy. A by-election is not required if Parliament is due to expire within six months.

Casual vacancy may refer to:

In the Parliament of Australia, a casual vacancy arises when a member of either the Senate or the House of Representatives:

Disqualification

A member will be disqualified if they are found to have been ineligible for election, or become ineligible to sit, because they:

The Casual Vacancy is a 2012 novel written by J. K. Rowling. The book was published worldwide by the Little, Brown Book Group on 27 September 2012. A paperback edition was released on 23 July 2013. It was Rowling's first publication since the Harry Potter series, her first apart from that series, and her first novel for adult readership.

The novel is set in a suburban West Country town called Pagford and begins with the death of beloved Parish Councillor Barry Fairbrother. Subsequently, a seat on the council is vacant and a conflict ensues before the election for his successor takes place. Factions develop, particularly concerning whether to dissociate with a local council estate, "the Fields", with which Barry supported an alliance. However, those running for a place soon find their darkest secrets revealed on the Parish Council online forum, ruining their campaign and leaving the election in turmoil.

Major themes in the novel are class, politics, and social issues such as drugs, prostitution and rape. The novel was the fastest-selling in the United Kingdom in three years and had the second best-selling opening week for an adult novel there since Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol. It became the 15th best-selling book of 2012 during its first week of release. Within the first three weeks the book's total sales topped one million copies in English in all formats across all territories, including the US and the UK The book also set a Goodreads record for the all-time biggest "started reading" day, later winning the Best Fiction category in the Goodreads Choice Awards 2012.

The Casual Vacancy is a 2015 British miniseries based on the novel of the same title by J. K. Rowling. Directed by Jonny Campbell from a screenplay by Sarah Phelps, the series premiered on 15 February 2015 in the United Kingdom and on 29 April 2015 in the United States.

The miniseries is a joint production of the BBC and HBO.

Plot

Summary

The plot centres on Pagford, a typical English village with a cobbled market square and ancient abbey. Behind its pretty façade, however, the village has deep divisions: rich at war with the poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, and teachers at war with their students.

Differences from the novel

Various changes were made to the story when adapting it for television.