Residents in the Melksham area are preparing to head to the polls on Thursday 1st May as local elections take place across Wiltshire.
This year’s Wiltshire Council elections are expected to be hotly contested, with six seats up for grabs in the Melksham area. Candidates are standing from the Conservative Party, Green Party, Liberal Democrats and Reform UK, as well as independent candidates.
Wiltshire Council is responsible for key services such as planning, highways, education and social care. The elections come at a time when local issues such as investment in fixing roads and potholes, house building and infrastructure, and funding for local services are high on the agenda.
For Melksham Town Council, an election will only take place in the Melksham North ward, where the number of candidates has exceeded the number of available seats. In all other town council wards, the number of candidates did not exceed the available seats, so those candidates will be elected unopposed.
Meanwhile, there will be no election for Melksham Without Parish Council, as the number of candidates standing in each ward matched or fell below the number of available seats.
A spokesperson for Wiltshire Council said, “Local elections may seem small to some, but they have a big impact. Voting in local elections will have an impact on who makes the decisions that will affect people’s day-to-day lives.”
Residents are reminded that voter ID is now a legal requirement. Accepted forms include a passport, driving licence or a Voter Authority Certificate. Without valid ID, residents will not be allowed to cast their vote.
The list of candidates standing for Wiltshire Council can be found on pages 20 and 21.
