Citizens Advice South Hams is working to promote the Devon County Council elections and ensuring everyone knows how it works.

More than 68,000 people are registered to vote in the South Hams but residents who are not registered are being urged to act now to ensure they have a vote and can get involved with the Devon County Council elections on May 4, 2017.

Before registering you should decide if you want to vote by post, in person at your local polling station or whether you would like a proxy to do this for you. Voting by proxy means that you appoint someone you trust to vote on your behalf and can be useful if you can’t get to the polling station on election day, for example through illness or if you are abroad.

To register go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The registration deadline is April 13 for those wishing to vote in person; April 18 for anyone applying for a postal vote and 5pm on April 25 for applications to vote by proxy.

Once registered you will be sent a polling card confirming your method voting. If you are voting in person it’s useful to take this with you on the day, but not essential.

Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.

If you’re disabled, the local Electoral Registration Office can tell you about physical access, e.g. wheelchair ramps and disabled parking spaces; low-level polling booths; and equipment for voters with a visual impairment.

Every polling station must provide at least one large print display version of the ballot paper and a special device so that blind and visually impaired people can vote.

When you arrive at the polling station, give your name and address to the staff inside. It is helpful to take your polling card with you to show who you are but you don’t have to.

You will be given a ballot paper containing a list of those you can vote for – this will show their name, address and if they are standing for a political party and the name of that party. It may also show a party emblem if it has been requested by the candidate.

How to vote: Take your ballot paper into the polling booth, follow the instructions on the notices in the polling booth and on the top of the ballot paper to vote. You do not need to do anything more than place a cross in the box alongside the name of the candidate you wish to vote for.

Once you have done this, put you ballot paper in the ballot box.

If you are voting by post, you also need to sign a separate form and include your date of birth so that local Electoral Registration Office can compare it with their records. Don’t forget to send back this form and your completed ballot paper in the envelope provided in plenty of time so that it can be included.

We understand the results for the County Council Elections will start to be announced from 10.30am on Friday, May 5.

More information can be found at: www.gov.uk/browse/citizenship/voting