Voters across Great Britain will go to the polls on May 6 on what has been dubbed “Super Thursday”.

So what elections are taking place in Hampshire and what are the systems being used?

Local elections

There will be 21 county councils holding elections, along with 28 unitary authorities, 59 district councils and 35 of the 36 metropolitan boroughs (the one exception is Birmingham, where elections will take place in 2022). All use the first-past-the-post system.

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections

PCCs will be elected in all areas of England apart from London, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire, where these powers are held by the directly-elected mayor. A total of 39 commissioners will be chosen across England and Wales using the supplementary vote system.

How do I vote?

Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm on election day, they will be held in schools, leisure centres, churches and village halls.

If you have registered to vote, a polling card will arrive in the post explaining where your polling station is but you will not need your polling card to vote.

If you want to vote, attend your polling station on May 6, where you will be given a ballot paper which will contain a list of all the candidates you can vote for.

Read the instructions, mark your vote on the paper and then fold it up and pop it in the ballot box.

What has been done to make polling stations ‘Covid safe’?

Polling stations will have a range of measures in place to protect you whilst you vote. This could include socially distanced queues, only allowing a certain amount of people in at one given time, plastic screen and hand sunsetting stations.

This year, voters are being encouraged to bring their own pen or pencil, but don’t worry if you forget, the polling station will have spares on hand. Masks must be worn unless you are exempt.

What happens if I want to vote but I have to self-isolate?

 The deadline for applying for a proxy was 17:00 on 27 April. However, if you develop Covid symptoms, are asked to self-isolate by track and trace or catch Covid, then you can apply for an emergency proxy vote until 5pm on May 6.