Why is it important that everyone votes in local elections?

Did you know that your local councillors are consulted on nearly everything that happens in your area? They take an active part in influencing what services are and are not provided - and that affects you and your family! Parish and Town Councils are responsible for many things like: bus shelters, litter bins, local halls and community centres, parks, public clocks and footpaths to name but a few. They are also consulted on planning applications, highway improvements, street signs, grant funding and projects that affect where you live and what facilities your community has or receives. Local councils are delivering more services for residents than ever before and with changes proposed by the new coalition government, Parish and Town Councils will be in a position to do even more in the future.Councillors live side by side with you in your community; they are the most local level of government, being easily contacted and directly answerable to the community every time they walk out of their front doors. They raise money primarily through your council tax to administer their decisions and you need to be sure that you have voted for the right people to look after your community. 

How do I vote?

To be able to vote your name must be on the electoral register.  If you are already registered to vote at your current address, you do not need to register again.  To check if you're registered to vote, contact Dorset Council.  You can register to vote at Gov.uk. 

Voting at a polling station: You now need to show photo ID when voting in person at a polling station. Read more about voting at a polling station.  

Voting by post: Voting by post is an easy and convenient way of voting. You can apply to set up a postal vote for just one election, referendum or poll, for example if you're going to be on holiday on polling day, or for a specific period of time or for up to a maximum of 3 years. You can also have your postal vote sent to any address (including overseas). Read more about voting by post including how to apply for a postal vote.

Voting by proxy: If you're unable to get to your polling station on polling day, you can appoint someone you trust to vote on your behalf. This is called a proxy vote and the person casting the vote is referred to as a proxy. Find out more about voting by proxy.