THERE are two elections taking place in Ilkley on Thursday, May 2, 2019:

• Election of a district councillor to represent Ilkley on Bradford Metropolitan District Council

• Election of the entire Ilkley Town Council

The district council election is familiar as every member of the electorate only has one vote to use.

The election of the Town Council is significantly different. The Town Council is made up of 14 councillors representing the four Town Council wards: Ilkley North, Ilkley West, Ilkley South and Ben Rhydding. Voters living in Ilkley North and Ilkley South can vote for three separate candidates. Voters living in Ilkley West and Ben Rhydding can vote for four separate candidates.

The map shows the Ilkley ward polling district boundaries.

Ilkley West (14A) – you can vote for four candidates

Ilkley North (14B) – you can vote for three candidates

Ilkley South (14D) – you can vote for three candidates

Ben Rhydding (14C and 14E) – you can vote for four candidates

By using all the votes available to them voters increase the chance of electing the range of candidates of their choice - it is part of the democratic process for these elections.

At previous Town Council elections some of the wards have not been fully contested and this has resulted in the candidates who stand in these uncontested wards becoming Town Councillors automatically. If insufficient candidates stand to fill all 14 councillor positions the largest group of Town Councillors can co-opt people to fill the vacant councillor positions on the Town Council.

A Town Council can only exercise its general power of competence under the Localism Act if at least two-thirds of the councillors have been elected, i.e. not co-opted. This underlines how important it is to ensure that all the Town Councillors are elected.

Key Dates:

• 4 April 2019: Candidates standing for Ilkley Town Council published

• 12 April 2019: Last date to register to vote

• 15 April 2019: Last date to register for a postal vote

• 24 April 2019: Last date to apply for a proxy vote

• 2 May 2019: Election Day – polling stations open 7am to 10pm

To be able to vote in the Town Council election you have to be on the Electoral Register - you can check this and register online at:

https://www.bradford.gov.uk/your-council/elections-and-voting/register-to-vote/

You can also apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote for the Town Council elections - you can do this online at:

Postal: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/your-council/elections-and-voting/voting-by-post/

Proxy: https://www.bradford.gov.uk/your-council/elections-and-voting/voting-by-proxy/