Candidates line up for council poll

Voters will go to the polls on Thursday May 2 for the local government elections with 68 candidates contesting 40 seats in Mid and East Antrim.
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The DUP, which has 15 elected council members in the borough is fielding 19 candidates, the largest number of all the parties across seven District Electoral Areas.

Meanwhile, the UUP has selected 12 candidates for the election, having secured nine seats at the 2014 poll.

The Alliance Party will be fielding eight candidates across the borough, while only one has been nominated from the SDLP alongside four Sinn Fein representatives.

Traditional Unionist Voice secured five seats, in the last local government election, with local party members hoping their nine candidates can build on this at the poll.

The PUP will be standing two representatives, Ukip will be fielding two candidates, one candidate is standing for the Green Party in Larne and the Democrats and Veterans Party will have one candidate in the Carrick Castle DEA.

Nine independent candidates have announced their intention to stand in the contest.

Polling will take place between 7.00 am and 10.00 pm. Voters must provide suitable identification including:

A UK, Irish or EEA driving licence (photographic part) (provisional accepted)

A UK, Irish or EU passport

An Electoral Identity Card

A Translink Senior SmartPass

A Translink 60+ SmartPass

A Translink War Disabled SmartPass

A Translink Blind Person’s SmartPass.

The single transferable vote system will be used in this election with candidates ranked in order of preference. A voter can rank as many or as few candidates as they like or just vote for one candidate.

The count will be held on Friday at Seven Towers Leisure Centre in Ballymena and continued into Saturday, if necessary.

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