Monday 28 April 2025
The Devon County Council elections will take place later this week, on Thursday 1 May 2025.
By voting you shape your community’s future, choose who makes decisions on the issues you care about and make your voice heard!
We've put together this special edition of our 'Connect Me' newsletter to let you know what to expect on polling day.
Polling day is the day on which polling stations will open and those who have registered can visit them to cast their vote. For this year's Devon County Council election, this is Thursday 1 May.
It is also the last day that postal votes can be accepted. Your postal vote needs to be with the elections team at your local council by 10pm on polling day to be counted, so make sure you post it in good time. If you don't post your postal vote in time, you can take it to your polling station.
To vote at a polling station, you will need to bring photo ID. You can check what forms of ID will be accepted on the Electoral Commission website.
How do I find out the results?
The votes will be counted on Friday 2 May 2025, and you will be able to follow the results on our democracy website.
Your polling station is allocated to you based on your address on the electoral register. This will be listed on your poll card, which you should have already received through the post. You don’t have to take your polling card with you.
You can also use the postcode checker on the Electoral Commission website to find out where your polling station is. You must make sure you attend the right polling station, otherwise you will not be able to cast your vote.
Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm, and you can go at any time to suit you, there's no appointment necessary.
When you arrive, polling station staff will ask for your name and address to check against the register of electors to make sure that you are eligible to vote. Then, once your identity has been confirmed by your photo ID, you will be given your ballot paper and directed to a booth to mark your vote in private. (If you wear a face covering or mask for religious, cultural or medical reasons you may need to remove it briefly so that staff can confirm your identity).
Make sure you read the instructions on your ballot paper which explain how you can cast your vote. Don’t panic if you fill in the ballot paper wrong, just speak to a member of the polling station staff who will help.
Once you've marked your ballot paper, fold it and place it into the ballot box.
Tellers are volunteers for the candidates standing in the election and are there to get an idea of how many people have voted.
They are allowed to ask you how you voted and may ask for your electoral number, however, you don’t have to tell them if you don’t want to.
If you can’t make it to the polling station, for example because you are ill, and you have missed the deadlines to apply for a postal or proxy vote, then you can apply for an emergency proxy vote until 5pm on polling day.
There’s more information about emergency proxy votes on the Electoral Commission website.
If you have a disability, your local district council’s Electoral Services Team can tell you about the physical access at your local polling station, for example wheelchair ramps and disabled parking spaces, low-level polling booths, and any specific equipment you need.
By voting in the Devon County Council elections, you are choosing the person who will use their local knowledge to stand up for the issues most important to you, the needs of your community and help bring about the changes you want locally.
Sixty council seats in 58 divisions (two areas, Exmouth and Broadclyst each have two elected members) will be decided, and the results will determine the new council’s priorities and the delivery of vital local services, including education, roads, social care for vulnerable adults and children as well as the local environment and Devon’s countryside.
It’s important to make an informed decision about who you want to vote for, so make sure you do your research about what the candidates in your area are standing for and what issues are important to them. Your ballot paper will list the candidates standing for your area and indicate whether they are representing a political party or standing as an Independent candidate. You can also find a list of candidates for each area on our website or you can use the postcode checker on the Electoral Commission website.
Voting for the first time is an exciting and important milestone, but we understand it can be daunting too. We’ve put together a video with our Director of Legal and Democratic Services, Maria Price (who is charged with ensuring that elections are delivered fairly and correctly) and some useful top tips that will help you navigate the process and know what to expect.
To help you make the most of your vote in the upcoming Devon County Council election, we've compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked questions.
Learn about how to vote, voting anonymously, voting as a student, voter fraud and more. Visit our website to find out more and ensure your voice is heard on Thursday 1 May 2025.
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