This year’s local elections will take place on Thursday 2nd May, you have until 12th April to register to vote and make your opinion count.
Notices of election have been sent out this week. The latest date they could be sent out was today, 26th March.
These are the official notices telling people that there will be an election and the dates that nominations have to be submitted by.
Other dates are fixed by the government to ensure that all councils have organised their elections properly.
April 3: Candidates have until 4pm to submit (or withdraw) their nominations and to appoint agents.
April 4: By 4pm on this day all councils have to publish the names of election candidates, along with their addresses, and details of their agents and the people who have nominated and seconded their candidacy.
April 12: The last day for residents to register for a vote in this year’s local elections.
April 15: The last day that people can apply for a postal vote to take part in May’s local council elections.
April 24: The official notice of poll for every seat has to be published by this day. This is also the deadline for the receipt of proxy vote applications for people who will be out of the country on polling day.
April 25: The councils organising the elections have to appoint poll and council agents by this date.
April 26: The first day you can apply for replacement postal ballot papers if you have lost the first one you have been sent.
May 2(polling day): If you have spoilt or lost your postal ballot paper you can apply for a replacement at your local council office up until 5pm – but you will then have to fill them in on the spot or get them to your property’s polling station if they are to be included in the vote.
The same deadline and conditions apply for people needing an emergency proxy vote on behalf of someone who has had to leave the country in a hurry.
On election day polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. Don’t forget your ID!.
May 2 10pm onwards: Votes are counted. The votes are counted overnight with the first ballot boxes arriving at The Oasis shortly after polls closed.
The results usually start being declared about 1am and are generally finished about an hour later.
Don’t forget you have until 12th April to register to vote!
