What can you expect on polling day?
Published: 2 May 2022
Emily Feenan is Derby City Council's Electoral Registration and Returning Officer.
Local elections are taking place in Derby on Thursday 5 May, where citizens have the chance to vote for councillors in all 17 wards across the city.
With polling day just around the corner, we sat down with Emily Feenan, Derby City Council’s Electoral Registration and Returning Officer, to answer questions on what you can expect when Derby goes to the polls.
You can find out more about the local elections on the Derby City Council website.
Who can vote in the local elections?
British, Commonwealth and European Union Citizens living in the UK are eligible to vote in local elections. To vote on 5 May you have to be on the electoral register for Derby City and aged 18 or over on polling day.
Why should I vote in the local elections?
Derby City Council has responsibilities for public health, education, highways, transport, planning, social care, housing, libraries, leisure and recreation, environmental health, waste collection and disposal and local taxation in Derby.
By voting in the local elections, you will be choosing who you want to represent you on the Council and who will make decisions on all the things that the Council is responsible for.
How do I vote?
If you are registered to vote and have applied for a postal vote, you should have received your postal vote pack by 27 April 2022. Make sure you complete the pack and post it back before 5 May.
You can also drop off completed postal vote packs at your local polling station on 5 May.
If you have not applied for a postal vote, you will have received a polling card in the post and you will need to go to your local polling station to vote.
Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm on polling day and details are set out on your polling card.
If you have an emergency which means that you are unable to vote in person on 5 May, you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote. All the details are on the Derby City Council website, including the required form, which must be completed and returned to us by 5pm on polling day.
What can I expect when I get to the polling station?
Voting at a polling station is easy, usually quick and our election staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Stations will close at 10pm. If you are already in a queue to vote at closing time, you will still be allowed to vote.
When you arrive at the polling station, follow the signs to the voting area. The Presiding Officer is responsible for managing the polling station on the day and they are supported by Poll Clerks who will ask your name and address, check the electoral register, and issue your ballot paper.
What will my ballot paper look like?
The ballot paper will set out the names and details of all the candidates standing for election in your ward. To vote, you need to go to the private area, called a polling booth, and put a clear mark in the box next to just one candidate.
Once you have marked you ballot paper take it and post it into the ballot box.
Who will be at a polling station?
The Presiding Officer is responsible for managing the polling station on the day and they are supported by Poll Clerks who will ask your name and address, check the electoral register and issue your ballot paper.
There may be people working on behalf of a political party at the entrance to a polling station; these are called Tellers. They may ask you for your elector number, however this is optional.
What should I bring with me to the polling station?
You do not need to take your polling card with you on polling day, but it will speed things up at the polling station if you do.
You do not need to bring separate ID with you. Pencils will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own pen or pencil to use.
Where do our votes go after the polling stations close?
Once the polls close at 10pm, all the ballot boxes will be taken to Derby Arena, where the votes will be counted overnight. Before counting begins, the number of votes in each ballot box is checked against the number of votes issued.
Who will be counting the votes?
We'll have a team of counters for each of the 17 wards working in the arena overnight. They’ll count each individual ballot paper. There's normally around 60,000 for them to go through.
Once the count for each ward is complete, I will announce the winning candidate for each ward. We usually begin announcing the results at about 3am on Friday. You can follow all the results on the Council’s social media feeds and on the Council’s website – all the major television channels will also be showing the results as they come in from across the Country.
Local elections are taking place in Derby on Thursday 5 May, where citizens have the chance to vote for councillors in all 17 wards across the city.
With polling day just around the corner, we sat down with Emily Feenan, Derby City Council’s Returning Officer, to answer questions on what you can expect on polling day.
Who can vote in the Local elections?
British, Commonwealth and European Union Citizens living in the UK are eligible to vote in local elections. To vote on 5 May you have to be on the electoral register for Derby City and aged 18 or over on polling day.
Why should I vote in the Local Elections?
Derby City Council has responsibilities for public health, education, highways, transport, planning, social care, housing, libraries, leisure and recreation, environmental health, waste collection and disposal and local taxation in Derby.
By voting in the Local Elections, you will be choosing who you want to represent you on the Council and who will make decisions on all the things that the Council is responsible for.
How do I vote?
If you are registered to vote and have applied for a postal vote, you should have received your postal vote pack by 27 April 2022. Make sure you complete the pack and post it back before 5 May.
You can also drop off completed postal vote packs at your local polling station on 5 May.
If you have not applied for a postal vote, you will have received a polling card in the post and you will need to go to your local polling station to vote.
Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm on polling day and details are set out on your polling card.
If you have an emergency which means that you are unable to vote in person on 5 May, you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote. All the details are on the Derby City Council website, including the required form, which must be completed and returned to us by 5pm on polling day.
What can I expect when I get to the polling station?
Voting at a polling station is easy, usually quick and our election staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Stations will close at 10pm. If you are already in a queue to vote at closing time, you will still be allowed to vote.
When you arrive at the polling station, follow the signs to the voting area. The Presiding Officer is responsible for managing the polling station on the day and they are supported by Poll Clerks who will ask your name and address, check the electoral register, and issue your ballot paper.
What will my ballot paper look like?
The ballot paper will set out the names and details of all the candidates standing for election in your ward. To vote, you need to go to the private area, called a polling booth, and put a clear mark in the box next to just one candidate.
Once you have marked you ballot paper take it and post it into the ballot box.
Who will be at a polling station?
The Presiding Officer is responsible for managing the polling station on the day and they are supported by Poll Clerks who will ask your name and address, check the electoral register and issue your ballot paper.
There may be people working on behalf of a political party at the entrance to a polling station; these are called Tellers. They may ask you for your elector number, however this is optional.
What should I bring with me to the polling station?
You do not need to take your polling card with you on polling day, but it will speed things up at the polling station if you do.
You do not need to bring separate ID with you. Pencils will be provided, but you are welcome to bring your own pen or pencil to use.
Where do our votes go after the polling stations close?
Once the polls close at 10pm, all the ballot boxes will be taken to Derby Arena, where the votes will be counted overnight. Before counting begins, the number of votes in each ballot box is checked against the number of votes issued.
Who will be counting the votes?
We'll have a team of counters for each of the 17 wards working in the arena overnight. They’ll count each individual ballot paper. There's normally around 60,000 for them to go through.
How and when will we get the results?
Once the count for each ward is complete, I will announce the winning candidate for each ward. We usually begin announcing the results at about 3am on Friday. You can follow all the results on the Council’s social media feeds and on the Council’s website – all the major television channels will also be showing the results as they come in from across the Country.