Borough goes to the polls

In the past few weeks, we’ve been inundated with election campaign material. Candidates and supporters have been making the most of the good weather to get round the doors throughout the borough to meet prospective voters.

During the campaign, Alliance leader David Forde popped into Coleraine for a walkabout while UUP leader Tom Elliott took time out to visit Portrush.

This Thursday, it all comes down to YOU, the voters.

At the polling stations, voters will be presented with three ballot papers: one for the Northern Ireland Assembly election, one for electing council candidates and one for the Alternative Vote referendum.

Voters should remember to bring the correct identification along to their selected polling station, details can be found on the back of your voting card.

WHO’S RUNNING IN EAST LONDONDERRY?

East Londonderry is solidly Unionist.

Historically it was a stronghold of the Ulster Unionist party, but in 2001 the DUP’s Gregory Campbell took the seat from veteran MP William Ross.

The breakdown for the last Assembly election was three DUP members, one Ulster Unionist, one Sinn Fein and one SDLP.

Twelve candidates are fighting for six seats in this election.

The Alliance party has fielded one candidate, Barney Fitzpatrick; the DUP have three candidates - Gregory Campbell, Adrian McQuillan and George Robinson.

Former UUP MLA, David McClarty will be running as an Independent.

Sinn Fein have two candidates, Bernadette Archibald and Cathal O hoisin, while the SDLP have also fielded two candidates, Thomas Conway and sitting MLA John Dallat.

Boyd Douglas will be the TUV’s only candidate while the UUP candidates are David Harding and Lesley Macaulay.

In the Coleraine Borough Council elections 41 candidates will be going head to head for one of the 22 seats.

BANN

Ciaran Archibald (Sinn Fein); Sam Cole (DUP); Elizabeth Collins (TUV), Richard Holmes (UUP); William King (UUP); Roisin Loftus (SDLP); Charlie McConaghy (Alliance);l Adrian McQuillan (DUP); Eamon Mullan (SDLP); Angela Torrens (DUP) and Rosemary Torrens (UUP)

COLERAINE CENTRAL

David Barbour (UUP); George Duddy (DUP); Susan Kelly (Sinn Fein); Nigel Macauley (UUP); William McCandless (DUP); David McClarty (Ind); James McClure (DUP); Gerry McLaughlin (SDLP); Sebastian Pierzchalski (SDLP); Graham Scobie (Alliance); Russell Watton (Ind).

COLERAINE EAST

Yvonne Boyle (Allliance); Maurice Bradley (DUP); William Creelman (DUP); Phyllis Fielding (DUP); David Harding (UUP); Robert McPherson (UUP); Teresa Young (SDLP)

SKERRIES

Christine Alexander (Ind); James Davies (Ind); Mark Fielding (DUP); Barney Fitzpatrick (Alliance); Sandy Gilkinson (DUP); Maura Hickey (SDLP); Norman Hillis (UUP); Noel Kennedy (Ind); Lesley Macaulay (UUP); Christopher O’Neill (Sinn Fein); Adrian Parke (UKIP); Michael Wiggins (TUV).

The verification of ballot papers will begin at 8.00am on Friday, May 6.

The Local Council ballot papers, once verified, will be collected from the count centres and stored securely until the Local Council counts begin on Monday, May 9.

The count of the Northern Ireland Assembly ballot papers will begin once the verification process has been completed.

It is expected that the election results will be declared on Saturday, May 7.

The Local Council results will be declared on May 9 or 10.