WITH only a few days to go until the election on Thursday May 5 for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire and the Stroud local elections, Stroud District Council wants to ensure that everyone who wants to cast their vote does not miss out.

Hannah Emery, Stroud District Council’s elections manager, said: “Whilst it’s too late to register to vote or request a postal or proxy vote for these elections, nearly 470,000 of Gloucestershire’s residents are eligible to vote in the PCC elections and in the Stroud district over 90,000 residents can vote in the district and town and parish council elections.”

Miss Emery added: “Anyone with a postal vote should now post their papers back as soon as possible as they won’t be counted if they are received after 10pm on Thursday.

“Residents who will be casting their votes at polling stations can do so between 7am and 10pm on Thursday.

“Polling station details are stated on polling cards and this year it is particularly important for voters to check these details as their polling station may be different to the one they have used in the past.”

In the Stroud district 91,349 people are registered to vote and 15,168 of them have received postal voting papers.

Across the county 469,701 are eligible to vote in the PCC election with 81,075 (17 per cent) having the postal option.

Ballot papers for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire election will be counted in each of the six local authority areas of the county the following day, on Friday 6 May, and the result will be announced in Stroud, by the district council’s chief executive, David Hagg, who is Police Area Returning Officer for the election.

The count for the local elections will also take place on the same day.

This year all 51 seats on the district council are up for election – the first time since 2002.

Nine seats will be contested in the town and parish council elections.