Where to vote on Thursday

After what feels like a very long campaign the day of the local elections, May 5th, is nearly here.

You may have already voted by post, in which case, thank you. Public votes are a vital cornerstone of our democracy. It really worries me that the awful conduct of politicians, especially the Prime Minister, have led many people to disengage with politics entirely. In a finely balanced seat like ours you have an opportunity to use your vote to make a really important statement about the kind of person you want to see representing you. As a member of the Labour party I believe that the difference in values between our candidates is in stark contrast to those of our Conservative opponents. I hope this is clear to you too.

So, where to vote… Preston ward is split into four ‘Polling Districts’ and you have to cast your vote at the correct polling station. A map is shown below. The name and address of your polling station will be printed on the white polling card that has been sent to you by the council. If you haven’t received your polling card it probably means you are not registered to vote in this election. It is now too late to register to vote but you can double check your registration status by contacting the electoral services team at the council.

• elections@northtyneside.gov.uk. (0191) 643 2270

If you still aren’t clear which polling station to use, perhaps because you live on a border street between polling districts, you can check using this website: wheredoivote.co.uk

Finally, a word of warning. This is likely to be the last election in which you will be able to vote without bringing photo ID to the polling station with you. The Conservatives have just passed ‘The Election Act‘ in Parliament which will ban you from voting if you don’t have valid photo ID. You can read more about this by clicking here. In other efforts to give themselves more power over free and fair elections they are planning to remove the independence of the politically neutral Electoral Commission, and change electoral boundaries. It’s all extremely concerning.