How to find your polling station and candidates in the English local election

Today, May 3, is the day of the local elections in England. Local democracy is hugely important, as it pertains to things in your local community, like bin collections, roads, parks, and leisure facilities. Around 150 English councils are up for grabs, and there are some handy online resources that can help you cast your vote.

Who Can I Vote For, from Democracy Club, does what it says on the tin. Give it your postcode, and it’ll give you the list of candidates standing in your area, along with the party they represent.

If you want more information on the candidates, you can click on their profiles. The site tells you if they’ve previously stood for office before, and gives you links to external online resources where you can find out where they stand on important policy issues.

With that out of the way, let’s talk about finding your local polling station. Where Do I Vote, also from Democracy Club, helps here. Just give it your postcode, and it’ll tell you the address of your nearest polling station, along with opening hours and walking directions. It’ll even tell you how long it’ll take to get there by foot.

If you’ve registered to vote, please remember to cast your ballot. Local elections can often feel trivial, especially in the light of more dramatic national politics, but they directly impact the place you live in. They couldn’t be more important.

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