This article was published on May 5, 2021 and information contained within may now be out of date.
Local elections to appoint members of Lincolnshire County Council and for the election of the Police and Crime Commissioner for the county took place yesterday (6th May).
Across England, around 4,600 positions of power are up for election, with around 28 million people able to vote. This number is higher than usual as many of the elections delayed from last year due to the coronavirus.
Lincolnshire County Council
Lincolnshire County Council has a total of 70 councillors, all of which are up for election. The Council is currently led by the Conservatives, who would require a minimum of 36 seats in order to be able to form another majority. The current make-up of the Council has the Conservatives with 54 seats.
A selection of what Lincolnshire County Council is responsible for:
- Education and looked-after children
- Household waste recycling centres (but not bin collections)
- Highways
- Libraries
- Lincolnshire Fire and Rescue
As the Spilsby Online area covers a number of different wards you can find a full list of candidates below.
Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner
The Police and Crime Commissioner role is also up for election. The Police and Crime Commissioner’s (PCC) role is to represent the people of Lincolnshire on policing matters and hold the police to account. PCCs aim to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service within their force area. This election was due to be held on 7 May 2020 but was delayed due to coronavirus. The position is currently held by Marc Jones (Conservative).
The candidates are:
- Peter Escreet, Reform Party
- Marc Jones, Conservatives
- Rosie Kirk, Labour
- Ross Pepper, Liberal Democrats
- David Williams, Lincolnshire Independents
Coronavirus Changes
Voting in person will be somewhat different this time compared to previous years due to coronavirus restrictions, which means social distancing, appropriate face coverings (unless exempt), and voters are being advised to bring their own pencil or pen – although some will be available to use at the polling station if you forget.
Are there any other elections happening?
In some areas there are some other elections happening, including a district byelection (Chapel St. Leonards), Parish election (Skegness Woodland ward), and a Neighbourhood Plan Referendum (Holton le Clay).
Local district and town/parish councils are not included in this round of elections.
I am registered to vote by post, but I have forgotten to post my vote back. Is it too late?
No, you can still hand your postal vote in at any polling station in the East Lindsey district.
Where is my polling station and what time is it open?
You can find details of your polling station by visiting wheredoivote.co.uk or by checking on your poll card. Polling stations are open from 7 am to 10 pm. You do not need to bring your poll card with you, but the information can be helpful to the polling staff by speeding up the process of confirming your eligibility to vote.
I haven’t voted before – is it straightforward?
Relatively, yes. The two different elections have two slightly different methods. For the County Council election, you need to mark in the box next to the name of the candidate you wish to vote for. For the PCC election, you need to mark your first choice by putting a mark in the first box next to their name, and then a second choice by marking in the second box. There is no requirement to make a second choice if you do not wish to do so.
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