District and Parish council elections will take place in the Maldon District on May 4 - but not everyone will vote in person.

More than one million people in Essex will have the opportunity make their voices heard as to who represents them in their local government.

The most common way to vote is in person at your nearest polling station – but that's not the only way to have your say.

You can also register to vote by post, but the deadline to do so is Tuesday (April 18).

This may be an attractive option if you you have trouble accessing polling stations, for example if you won't be at home on the day of the election.

But in order to vote by post you need to register with your local electoral registration office and the deadline is coming up soon.

To apply, download the form on the gov.uk website, fill it out and post it to your local electoral registration office.

Using the form, you can change where you want your ballot paper to be sent, for example if your address is different from where you're registered to vote.

You will then be sent a ballot paper in the mail, closer to the election.

When voting by post, you should mark your vote on your ballot paper in secret, fill in the postal voting statement, put the ballot and statement in the envelope provided and seal the envelope yourself.

In order for it to count, your ballot paper must reach your local electoral registration office by 10pm on May 4 – which is when the polls close.

Make sure you post your ballot back as quickly as possible to make sure it's counted.

If you're too late to post your ballot paper, take it to your local polling station by 10pm on election day, or the electoral registration office before they close.

In the run-up to the local elections in May, Maldon Nub News will speak to all candidates standing, and to members of the community who feel certain issues need to be tackled by our elected representatives.

If you are considering standing in the elections, or you simply want councillors to take note of a particular issue, get in touch with Maldon Nub News.

Find all our local election coverage on Nub News' Maldon District Council Elections 2023 page.

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