WITH less than one week left until voters go to the polls on May 6, Bury Council is urging residents to get ready to make their mark on ballot day.

There will be two elections held in Bury next Thursday: one for Bury Council, and one to elect the Greater Manchester Mayor.

Extensive preparations have been made to ensure that polling stations will be Covid-safe places to vote. People voting in person are encouraged to keep themselves and others safe by:

wearing a face covering

bringing their own pen or pencil

cleaning their hands when entering and leaving the polling station

keeping a safe distance from each other

Voters should not attend the polling station if they have symptoms of Covid-19, or if they have been asked to self-isolate. Anyone who develops symptoms or is asked to self-isolate shortly before polling day has up to 5pm on polling day to apply for an emergency proxy vote. This allows them to nominate someone they trust to vote on their behalf.

Geoff Little, returning officer for Bury, said: “Your poll card will tell you where to find your polling station. Make sure you check the information on your polling card, as your polling station might have changed since the last elections. You do not need your poll card to vote; however, we encourage you to bring it with you to make the process quicker and more efficient.

“Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday, May 6. Voters who have opted to vote by post must return their postal ballot pack by 10pm; they can hand it in at their polling station if they don’t have time to return it by post.”

For further information on how to apply for an emergency proxy, voters should contact the electoral registration team at 0161 253 5252 or email electionservices@bury.gov.uk

The list of candidates standing in the Bury Council elections is here: bury.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=16138

Votes for the council elections will be counted the day after the election (Friday, May 7) and the count will be live streamed, with the results posted on the council’s social media and website. The count for the GM Mayoral election will take place on Saturday, May 8.

The GM Mayor will be elected using the Supplementary Vote system. This means voters will have the opportunity to choose their first and second choice candidates.

There’s a handy video guide on Twittter to explain how this works: twitter.com/GMElects/status/1387066758285172736

Candidates for the Mayoral election are here: gmelects.org.uk/media/1057/statement-of-persons-nominated.pdf