Elections are being held across Dorset on 5 May 2016.
There will be a county-wide poll to elect a Police and Crime Commissioner for Dorset and some areas will have elections for borough or district council seats. In West Dorset there will also be a referendum into how West Dorset District Council is run.
More information about what elections are being held where is available at: dorsetforyou.com/elections/current-elections
The supplementary voting system is used to elect the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner, rather than first past the post. Under this system, voters can make a first and second choice. Voters do not have to make a second choice.
If no candidate has a clear majority (more than 50 per cent +1) then the top two candidates go forward to the next round and the others are eliminated. The votes for the eliminated candidates are then reallocated, with their second choices being taken into account, if they are still in the running.
More information about the Dorset Police and Crime Commissioner election and the supplementary voting system is available here: poole.gov.uk/your-council/elections-and-voting/elections/police-crime-commissioner-elections-2016/
Preparations are also underway at the Dorset Councils Partnership, which is made up of North Dorset District Council, West Dorset District Council and Weymouth & Portland Borough Council, for the EU referendum on 23 June 2016.
Sue Bonham-Lovett, Electoral Services Manager at the Dorset Councils Partnership, said: “I would like to reassure residents that if they are on the electoral register they will automatically receive a vote in the EU referendum, unless they are an EU citizen in which case they are not entitled to vote.
“Many residents have been in contact with us attempting to register again, but if you are on the electoral register for the May polls and have received a poll card then, unless you need to change your voting arrangements, you do not need to register again.”
More information about the EU referendum and who can vote is available here:
aboutmyvote.co.uk/upcoming-elections-and-referendums/eu-referendum
