Telford & Wrekin voters take to the polls
Voters in the Telford & Wrekin area are today heading to the polls as local elections take place in the borough.
A total of 141 candidates are standing in the elections for Telford & Wrekin Council with all of the council’s 54 seats contested. 312 candidates have put themselves forward to contest 284 seats in the borough’s 26 town and parish councils.
Almost 41,000 people in the area have opted to vote by post with more than 61% of votes in borough, town and parish elections and the national referendum on the voting system already returned. Those who opted for a postal vote but did not post their ballot can still have their say today by returning their postal vote in person at any borough polling station.
Returning Officer Victor Brownlees said: “I urge local people to take 10 minutes out of their busy schedules to visit a polling station today to cast their vote.
”Local councillors make vital decisions affecting your communities and families. Decisions about education, roads and transport, activities for teenagers, care of the elderly and vulnerable and waste disposal are all the responsibility of your local councillors. It’s never been more important to have your say.”
Regular updates from the election count on the night of May 5 will be available on the Council’s website on www.telford.gov.uk/elections and results will also be posted as they come in via the Council’s Twitter feed. Use #telfelec to find the updates.
Voting for an Alternative Vote
Voters in Telford & Wrekin and the Shropshire Council area are also urged to have their say in the first UK-wide referendum in over 30 years.
The referendum is on the voting system used for the election of MPs to the UK Parliament. The question being put to voters today is:
“At present, the UK uses the ’first past the post’ system to elect MPs to the House of Commons. Should the ’alternative vote’ system be used instead?”
