ELECTIONS for Shropshire Council, for town councils, parish councils, and for the West Mercia Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) will take place on Thursday, May 6.

Polling stations for all three elections will be open between 7am and 10pm for those who wish to vote in person.

For this year there are some changes to polling stations since the last elections.

Baschurch Village Hall will be the polling centre for Millington Close and St Peter's Church will be the polling station for Stoke-on-Tern Parish Hall

Emmanuel Church is also replacing Hope Church Centre and Abbots Wood Day Centre replaces Belvidere Primary School.

In the Shropshire Council area, votes will be verified on the evening of Thursday, May 6, into the morning of Friday, May 7.

May 7-8 will see the counting of Shropshire Council votes, while May 9-10 will see the town, parish and PCC votes counted.

There is information about the elections in Shropshire on the Shropshire Council website at shropshire.gov.uk/elections-and-electoral-registration/voting-and-elections/.

To vote you must register to vote by 19 April and to register go to gov.uk/register-to-vote.

If you are interested in standing as a candidate, visit shropshire.gov.uk/elections-and-electoral-registration/voting-and-elections/ for more information.

Poll cards are due to be sent to everyone in the Shropshire Council area who is already registered to vote.

Voters have a range of options for casting their ballot – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.

To vote by post or proxy you must apply in advance.

For those who choose to vote in person, polling stations will be safe places to vote on May 6 with social distancing measures and other safety measures in place, and people are being asked to bring their own pen or pencil.

Details of candidates in the elections will be posted on the Shropshire Council website in early April, after nominations close on April 8.

A list of polling stations in the Shropshire Council area, will be published on the council website soon.

Voting in the Shropshire Council and the town council and parish council elections uses the first past the post system where you vote for one candidate.

Voting in the PCC election uses the Supplementary Vote system.

Voters can make a first and (if they wish) second choice.

If no candidate gets more than 50 per cent of the first choice votes, all except the top two candidates are eliminated.