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Tuesday 4 May 2021
 Your vote is safe - what to expect on polling day
Local elections are taking place this Thursday (6 May).
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed a lot of things over the last year, but it won't stop you from being able to vote. If you want to vote in person at a polling station on Thursday, measures will be in place to ensure that you can cast your vote safely, including extra cleaning and social distancing.
There will be a few extra things you'll need to remember to keep yourself and others safe at the polling station:
- Wear a face covering.
- Hand sanitise before and after you vote.
- Bring your own pencil (if you do forget, there will be clean ones available).
- Keep a safe social distance from people not in your household or support bubble.
You can find out more about voting, including what to expect on polling day, on our website.
 What to do if you aren't feeling well
If you're not feeling well or are self-isolating, please don’t go to a polling station to vote in person.
Being ill won’t stop you being able to have your say, but there are other options available to make sure you don’t put others at risk.
This year, if you can’t attend a polling station for reasons related to COVID-19 you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up until 5.00pm on the day of the election.
Find out more on the Electoral Commission website.
 Have you returned your postal vote?
Thousands of people in Devon have decided to use postal voting this year. If you’re one of them, don’t forget to return your completed ballot papers and signed postal voting statement.
There’s still time! Your envelope must be received by 10pm on Thursday 6 May in order for your vote to be counted. If you don't have the chance to post it in time, you can hand it in at your polling station before 10pm on polling day.
You can find out more information on the Electoral Commission website.
Click the image to watch the video
Why is voting in the local elections important to you?
Local elections are an important chance to have a say about the issues that matter to you and your local community.
As part of our campaign to encourage voting in the local elections, we asked you why you thought voting was important and why you’d be voting in May.
The answers we received were really varied, and included having the chance to help choose who represents your local area, having a say about services you use every day and being able to help shape Devon's future on big issues such as health and social care, the environment and the economy.
You can find out more about what people said on our News Centre.
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