Hampshire heads to the polls as stations open
- Published
It's become a bit of a tradition that #dogsatpollingstations trends whenever there is an election - but in the New Forest this morning it was a Donkey
Polling stations across Hampshire have opened for the local elections.
A third of the seats on Portsmouth City Council and Southampton City Council are up for election, as well as seats on six district councils in the county.
As well as electing council representatives, people will also be voting for the Hampshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC).
Polling stations across the county opened at 07:00 BST and will close at 22:00.
For only the second time, voters will require a form of photo ID - such as a passport or driving licence - in order to cast their ballot.
Sixteen of the 42 seats on unitary authority, Portsmouth City Council are up for election, with the council currently under no overall control.
It is currently run by a minority Liberal Democrat administration.
There are 17 of 51 seats on Labour-led Southampton City Council, also a unitary authority, up for election.
Meanwhile all 32 seats on Conservative-led Fareham Borough Council and all 36 seats on Conservative-led Havant Borough Council are also up for election.
Gosport Borough Council, led by the Liberal Democrats, has 14 seats up for election, while Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council - currently run by a minority Independent administration - has 18.
Liberal Democrat-run Eastleigh Borough Council and Winchester City Council have 13 and 14 seats up for election, respectively.
In the PCC race, Conservative incumbent Donna Jones is facing competition from Labour & Co-Operative candidate Becky Williams, Prad Bains of the Liberal Democrats and Don Jerrard of the Justice and Anti-Corruption Party.
PCCs are elected officials whose role is to help ensure police forces function effectively but not to run those forces themselves.
They scrutinise force performance, set the annual budget for their force, oversee community safety, and set out force strategy and policing priorities in a Police and Crime Plan.
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