West Susex County Council election candidates are announced
The Conservatives and Reform UK have entered election candidates for all 70 seats on West Sussex County Council.
The elections – the last before the council is dissolved to make way for a Mayoral Combined County Authority for Sussex in 2028 – will be held on Thursday, May 7.
The other candidates will be made up of 69 each from the Liberal Democrats and the Green Party, 68 from Labour, nine Independents, and one each for the Monster Raving Loony Party, UK Pirate Party, Peace Party, Patria, Libertarian, English Democrats, and Local Alliance.
To find out who is standing in your area, visit www.westsussex.gov.co.uk
The council has been predominantly controlled by the Conservatives since 1974, with a period of No Overall Control between 1993 and 1997.
The political make up is currently: 38 Conservatives, ten Liberal Democrat, eight Labour, five Green & Independent Alliance, four Reform, four Independent, and one vacancy.
But polls are predicting a change. As is the case with all election predictions, results differ depending on the poll.
Britain Votes Now has Reform taking 33 seats, the Liberal Democrats taking 13 and the Tories dropping to 11 seats. And PollCheck has Reform on 26, the Conservatives on 16 and the Liberal Democrats on 14.
JL Partners chose to look at percentages of the vote, placing the Liberal Democrats on 29.9 per cent (arguably 21 seats), the Conservatives on 27.6 per cent (19 seats) and Reform on 23.6 per cent (16 seats).
Whatever happens on May 7, the county council is urging people, particularly young adults, students, and those who have changed address or recently moved, to ensure they are registered to vote.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday April 20. Voters can apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. It takes just five minutes.
Once registered, voters have a range of options – they can vote in person, by post, or by appointing someone they trust to vote on their behalf, known as a proxy vote.
Voters going to a polling station are reminded they will need to show photo ID. Any of the following can be used: passport; driving licence (including provisional licence); Blue Badge; certain concessionary travel cards; identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme); biometric Immigration document including eVisas; Defence identity card; HM Armed Forces Veteran Card and certain national identity cards.
Only ]one form of photo ID will need to be shown but it needs to be the original version and not a photocopy. The name on the ID must be the same name used to register to vote.
Anyone who does not have an accepted form of photo ID, or is not sure whether their photo ID still looks like them, can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, at voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk – the deadline to apply is 5pm on Tuesday, April 28.
Anyone who needs help applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or wants to request a paper application form should contact their local district or borough council. For further advice, call the Electoral Commission helpline on 0800 328 0280.