Local Election 2018: Your Guide

The 2018 local elections are just a few weeks away and Nailed will be explaining the where, when, how and what residents of DE56 will be voting for this May.

The Basics

On Thursday 3 May residents in Amber Valley will go to the polls to have their say on who represents them at a local level.

Local government elections select councillors, who are responsible for making decisions on running services in your local area. These include housing, education, transport, planning, parks, leisure, fire and public safety, social care and waste management.

In order to vote in this years election, residents must be on the electoral register. The deadline to register to vote in local elections is Tuesday April 17.

Who can I vote for and where?

In the Amber Valley there are 15 wards up for election, they can be found here.

The main wards within DE56 and the candidates for each party are as follows:

Belper East

• Fay Atkinson – Labour
• Adam Raphael – Liber Democrats
• Martin Tomlinson – Conservative
• Julie Wozniczka – Green

Belper South

• Carol Angharad – Labour
• Sue Macfarlane – Green
• Richard Salmon – Liberal Democrats
• Timothy Sutton – Conservative
• Steven White – Independent

Duffield

• Patrick Mountain – Labour
• Andrea Nove – Liberal Democrats
• Chris Short – Conservative
• Dave Wells – Green

Kilburn, Denby & Holbrook

• Trevor Ainsworth – Conservative
• Susan Allen – Liberal Democrats
• Sam hart – Labour
• Steve Kennedy – Green

Who controls the Council at present?

Currently, the Conservative party hold a single seat majority over Labour with 23 seats to their 22 seats.

This years election will see around a third of those seats up for grabs (15 in total) so the party who controls the council could easily change after the vote.

Don’t forget to register (if you haven’t already)

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Tuesday 17 April. Anyone can apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. It takes just five minutes.

Jill Harris, Electoral Registration Officer for Amber Valley Borough Council, said:

“Time is running out to make sure you can take part in the local elections. These elections are an opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who represents you on issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in Amber Valley. But if you’re not registered by 17 April, you won’t be able to vote.”

Chris Hinde, Electoral Commission Regional Manager for the Midlands, said:

“If you have turned 18, or if you have moved home recently, it’s particularly important that you act to ensure that you are registered. It takes just five minutes online and means that you can take part in this important election.”

If you were eligible to vote in last year’s general election and your details have not changed, you will still be registered to vote. If in doubt, check your details by giving us a call on 01773 841458.

Your nearest polling station will be written on your polling card or you can contact your local authority.

We have a Winner!

What happens after the polls close? Well, the results for each individual race will be announced between 2am on Friday, May 4th and the end of Saturday, May 5th.

A majority of the counting will be done on the night of the election, but in an effort to save money some constituencies and regions may choose to count the votes the following day.

We want to hear from you.

Your opinion matters. Do you know who your candidates are? Have you been informed of their policies? Have they spoken about the local issues that affect you? Have you met them in person? Is political infighting putting you off the process? Do they represent how you feel?

Comment below and tell us about your experience.