The Police Crime and Commissioner elections are your opportunity to have your say on how best to fight crime and manage our local police force. The Police and Crime Commissioner elections are taking place on Thursday 5 May 2016. These elections are happening across England and Wales (excluding London and Great Manchester).
Residents of Brighton & Hove will be voting for the Sussex Police Crime and Commissioner and polling stations will be open across the city on the day of the election.
Charles Lant, Sussex Police Area Returning Officer, Wealden District Council, explains: “There are five candidates standing for election to the post of Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner - whoever is elected is in charge of the Police Force’s budget and will set the objectives for the fight against crime. You only get the chance once every four years to decide who is in charge – don’t waste this opportunity.”
The candidates for Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner are as follows:
- Katy Bourne (The Conservative Party Candidate)
- James Doyle (Green Party)
- Michael Jones (Labour Party)
- Patrick Lowe (UKIP)
- James Walsh (Liberal Democrats)
You can find out about their aims and proposals by visiting the Choose My PCC website, www.choosemypcc.org.uk. You can also download a candidate information booklet from the Choose My PCC website, or order the booklet by post by telephoning 0800 1 070708.
Charles Lant added: “Those electors who have applied for a postal vote will be receiving their ballot papers. In the Police and Crime Commissioner Election, you are allowed TWO votes, one for your FIRST choice candidate, one for your SECOND choice.
“On the ballot paper you can vote for your first and second choice candidates: mark a cross in the first column for your first choice, mark a cross in the second column for your second choice. If you do not have a second choice, your first vote will still be counted.
“If none of the first choice candidates get more than 50% of the vote, the leading two candidates receive the second choice votes from the other candidates to decide a winner. This is called the Supplementary Vote System. If you have a postal vote, don’t forget to complete the ballot papers and post them back in good time before 5 May."
The Electoral Commission has produced a 30 second video to help with the ballot paper.
Voters are reminded that if they are already on the local authority Register of Electors, they will NOT need to re-register in order to take part in Referendum on EU Membership on 23 June.