Isle of Wight residents can today (Thursday) shape the future of local democracy as polling stations across the Island open for the 2021 local, town/parish and Police & Crime Commissioner elections.
It is important to have your say as you will decide who represents you when decisions are made about local services including everything from bin collections to road improvements, policing to flowers.
Elections can be confusing at the best of times, so Island Echo has launched a brand new website – www.isleofwight.vote – to compile all the vital information in a single, easy-to-access location.
You have until 22:00 tonight (Thursday) to vote.
• How to Vote
You can vote in person at 1 of several polling stations across the Isle of Wight. To locate your correct polling station, visit https://isleofwight.vote/polling-stations/ and enter your postcode. A full list is also included on this page. Alternatively, check the polling card that came through your letterbox – although you do not need this in order to vote, but you must be registered.
Remember to take a face covering with you and, if possible, your own pen or pencil. Social distancing measures will be in force when inside the polling station and you may have to wait a short while due to limitations on numbers.
You can vote between 07:00 and 22:00.
If you are unable to attend your polling station in person due to a medical emergency – such as self-isolating due to coronavirus – or due to your occupation, service or employment then you may be able to appoint an emergency proxy to vote on your behalf. Contact the electoral services team by email on [email protected] or call 01983 823380. Emergency proxy votes can be issued up to 17:00.
• Who can I vote for?
You will be voting in 3 different elections to decide your local county councillor, your town/parish councillors and the region’s Police & Crime Commissioner.
To find out who is standing in your ward in the Local Elections, visit https://isleofwight.vote/localcandidates/.
Details of those standing as a town or parish councillor in your area can be found at https://isleofwight.vote/candidates-town-parish-elections-2021/.
4 candidates are standing in the PCC election and their details can be found at https://isleofwight.vote/police-crime-commissioner/.
• When will the results be declared?
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the election count is being held differently in 2021 with the 3 elections being validated, counted and declared across 3 days.
The results of the local election – for the county councillors – will be announced on Friday afternoon. This will then reveal who has control of County Hall for the next 4 years.
On Saturday, the elected town/parish councillors will be revealed followed by the successful Police & Crime Commissioner on Monday.
Find out who your local councillor is, how and where to vote and the results of previous elections at www.isleofwight.vote - the Island's new hub for all things related to Local and General Elections, brought to you by Island Echo.
Vote tory for more sleaze, corruption, lies and building on green fields!
One expects Bembridge to be in the news for all the wrong reasons again soon then, as old scores are re-inflamed by the in fighting of the Parish Council should disruptive individuals be elected.
People should only stand if they have the well being of the villages and villagers of this splendid Isle in their hearts, yet some it seems, is more about control and point scoring.
Whilst we all have different ideas, the common goal is to improve village life for all, and that is only achieved by respecting others views and having the ability to give and take to achieve that end.
I’m voting for the floating bridge…NOT..
Very curious to know why on the IW Green Party website 9 out 19 candidates do not give any contact details.
Same lack of contact details on the leaflets too.
They are all as bad as each other, feathering their own nests before they care about the common people. Also if your thinking of voting, check your candidate is NOT a property developer or more greenfield sites will be filled with more housing and concrete.
It was once said to me that ” if voting made a difference, they wouldn’t let you do it!” . That about sums it up!
What a load of tosh, people backing Boris,despite left wing media propergander,how do you explain Brexit then??? You know nothing,power to the people!!!
Joseph Stalin once said when he was facing defeat in an election “It’s not the people who vote that counts it’s the people who count the votes”.
Just because some evil and warped dictater said something once that you have read in textbook at school,what are you trying to say, that our army of wonderful election volunteers are some how corrupt??? Typical woke fart, oh,my friend said this, so it must be true,bla bla bla,bleep sheep bleep,