Ernie Clark. Hilperton Division, Wiltshire Council.

Wiltshire is getting ready for 4th June.
Church halls, pubs, chapels and caravans will be just some of the 360 plus polling stations when Wiltshire voters take to the ballot boxes next month.

At the election on Thursday June 4th, voters will be electing 98 councillors for the new Wiltshire Council which came into being on April 1. This single unitary council replaces the four former district councils and the county council in Wiltshire. Elections to the European Parliament will also take place on June 4th.

Polling stations across the county will be open for business from 7am to 10pm. The counting of votes and the declarations of the winners will take place the next day, Friday June 5th, at The Olympiad Chippenham, City Hall, Salisbury, Devizes Leisure Centre and the Civic Hall in Trowbridge. The European election count will taker place on Sunday at the Olympiad.

Polling stations include schools, recreation centres, church halls and village halls, Army cadet huts, Scout huts, pub function rooms, mobile classrooms, caravans, arts centres, sports pavilions, pub car parks, chapels and churches.

Some venues, like the popular Wiltshire History centre in Cocklebury Road, Chippenham, will be polling stations for the first time and 11 usual venues have been discontinued for reasons ranging from refurbishment to being prebooked for other events.

Polling cards have been sent out and the Wiltshire Council elections team are reminding voters to look carefully at the cards to make sure they attend the right polling station to cast their vote. You can also check your polling station by visiting the Wiltshire Council elections website. Just by putting in your postcode you will get the name and location of your polling station.

The elections will see 354 would-be councillors vying for 98 seats. The full list of nominations can be seen at www.wiltshire.gov/elections and the elections team can be contacted on 0300 456 0112.