Where is my polling station? Where to vote in Manchester local elections 2022 - and opening and closing times

The 2022 local elections take place today, and voters across the Manchester region will be figuring out who their vote will go to.

Voting day is a day where churches, community halls and schools get transformed into polling stations for the day.

Ahead of polling day, here’s all you need to know about where you will be able to vote, rules about using a polling station and information on how to place your vote.

When are the local elections?

The date for the next local election in Manchester is Thursday, 5 May 2022. Polling stations in the area will open at 7am, closing at 10pm.

Councils across Manchester and the surrounding area, including Manchester City and Salford City Council, have seats that will be contested in the upcoming election.

Where is my polling station?

In elections in England, both General and Local, you are unable to visit the polling station of your choice.

Before polling day, a polling card will be sent to your home address. Amongst the information on the card is the address of the polling station you can visit.

If you don’t receive a card or if you need to find out which polling station to go to on polling day, you can use an online tool at the website ‘Where Do I Vote?’ 

The only information you need is your postcode.

You can also check where your polling station is on the Manchester City Council and Salford City Council websites

What time do polling stations open and close?

The opening and closing times for polling stations at the 2022 Local Elections are the same throughout the country.

Voters can head to polling stations to place their vote between 7am and 10pm.

What can I do in a polling station?

The Electoral Commision, the organisation that oversees electoral procedure in the UK, has rules on what people can and can’t do in a polling station.

A selection of their rules are listed below.

• You can take your child to the polling station with you, this is in fact encouraged to teach them about democracy, but they cannot fill out your ballot sheet for you.
• You can wear political slogans on clothing when voting, but you must leave the polling station immediately after
• Taking photos in polling stations is not recommended as it could give away who someone else is voting for, and this is illegal. 

For more information on polling stations, visit the Electoral Commission website.

How do I vote in person?

The deadline to register to vote in this election was 14 April, therefore if you are not currently registered you will be unable to vote on 5 May.

For those who are registered and have decided they will vote in the upcoming election in person, you will receive a polling card sent to your home.

This card will explain to you on which day you can go to vote as well as the address of your polling station.

Once you have arrived at your polling station (these are normally public buildings, such as schools, leisure centres, community halls) you will be given a ballot paper.

On the paper there will be a list of candidates for which you can cast your vote.

Once you have filled in the paper, you will be asked to fold it over and place it in a ballot box.

You are not allowed to discuss your vote in the polling station.