How Do I Vote In Today’s KCC Elections? What You Need To Know.
Firstly I’d like to thank the Electoral Services Team at Shepway District Council whose professionalism and kindness to help a burgeoning beginner such as me, has been outstanding, so Thank you.
Polling Stations across the Folkestone West Division open at 7am and close at 10pm on Thursday 4th May 2017.
Do I need a polling card?
You do not need your polling card in order to vote. Just turn up and tell the staff your name and address.
Your local council should have sent you a polling card telling you where and when to vote. On the reverse there will be a map and the location of your local polling station.
Do I need to take ID to the polling station?
You do not need to show ID to vote in England, Scotland and Wales. You will need to tell polling staff your name and address. They will then cross your name off the list and give you a ballot paper.
The elections watchdog plans to introduce the need for photographic ID in time for the 2019 local government and European parliament elections.
Where should you go to vote?
There are seven polling stations for the Folkestone West Division and your polling card will tell you where to vote. If not here is a least of the seven in the Folkestone West Division.
| Situation of Polling Station Station | Station Number | Ranges of electoral register numbers of persons entitled to vote thereat |
| Grace Taylor Hall, 126 Lucy Avenue, Folkestone | 1 | BR1-1 to BR1-2962 |
| St Georges Church Hall, Audley Road, Folkestone | 2 | CH1-1 to CH1 |
| St Andrews Methodist Church Hall, Surrenden Road, Folkestone. | 5 | CH4-1 to CH4-2551 |
| Town Hall, 2 Guildhall Street, Folkestone | 9 | FC1-1 to FC1-2927 |
| Radnor Park Community Centre, Formerly the United Reform Church Hall, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone. | 10 | FC2-1 to FC2-1825 |
| Holy Trinity Church Hall, Sandgate Road, Folkestone | 11 | FC3-1 to FC3-1625 |
| Wards Hotel – (Grimston Gardens Entrance), 39 Earls Avenue, Folkestone | 12 | FC4-1 to FC4-972/11 |
What Happens Inside the Polling Station?
Tell the staff inside the polling station your name and address so they can check that you are on the electoral register. You can show them your poll card, but you do not need the card to vote.
The staff at the polling station will give you a ballot paper listing the parties and candidates you can vote for.
Take your ballot paper into a polling booth so that no one can see how you vote. The ballot paper will tell you how to cast your vote. Do not write anything else on the paper or your vote may not be counted.
Filling In Your Ballot Paper.
Follow the instructions on the top of the ballot paper. Essentially, you will need to mark your preference with a cross.
Although official rules call for a cross, according to a spokesman for the Electoral Commission, returning officers can exercise discretion where “they are satisfied that a preference has been expressed”. Any clear expression of preference for a specific candidate is a legal vote. Returning officers and tellers would discuss your chosen symbol, and if there is a clear preference for one candidate the vote will count.
Fold your ballot paper in half, and then put it in the ballot box. Go outside of the polling station and take a selfie. Tweet and tell everyone to vote for Bryan Rylands.
Can I take a picture in the polling booth?
Definitely not.
I’m busy can I vote by proxy?
If you are not able to go to the polling station in person on polling day for reasons relating to your occupation, service or employment – not just because you can’t be bothered – and you only become aware of this after 5pm on the sixth working day before an election you can apply to vote by emergency proxy.
Voting by proxy is when someone else votes on your behalf. You can apply up until 5pm on election day.
The person you wish to appoint as your proxy must be registered individually. A person cannot be a proxy for more than two people at any one election or referendum, unless they are a close relative.
Can I vote by post?
Sorry, it is too late to post it now. Your ballot paper needs to be returned by 5pm on polling day.
However you can hand it in on polling day to the returning officer at your Shepway District Council, or drop it off at a polling station.
Who should I vote for?
Well that’s simple – me, Bryan Rylands.
Published & Promoted by Bryan Rylands Flat D Avenay Court Folkestone CT20 2LN
All the information above is my own as is the video and does not represent the views of the Shepwayvox Team who have kindly allowed me to use their blogsite
I’ve never wished that I could have voted more often than once than today. Luckily neighbours gave me a proxy to exercise on their behalf and I ferried some others to vote. Whatever happens in the count, the cheats, the liars and the mediocrities will be called to account, along with their tax cheating cronies. No more stains on Shepway streets.
Had you ben standing in my Ward you would have had my vote. Instead I voted for Rory Love, being the only Candidate, excepting Tim Prater, who could be arsed to send me any manifesto literature. A vote for any of the other candidates would be somewhat wasted.