THERE will be five candidates vying for seats in the by-election at Weybourne and Badshot Lea on December 8.
Stewart Edge, (Liberal Democrat), Mark Epps (Labour) and Stephen Hill (Conservative) are the candidates for the Waverley borough seat; and William Livesey (Liberal Democrat), Mark Epps (Labour) and Stephen Hill (Conservative) will contest the town council seat.
The by-election is on a Saturday for the first time, in a bid to get more people to the polling stations.
Waverley is hoping to prevent the kind of voter apathy which marred the national elections earliet this year..
Election officer Jean Radley said that the turn-out figures in previous local elections across Waverley were "consistent and reasonable" and always above the 25 per cent.
In the 1999 local election, there was a turn-out of 36 per cent for the ward of Weybourne and Badshot Lea and an average of 43 per cent across Waverley.
However, she stressed it was important for the council not to be complacent, particularly following the general election.
"We want to make it as easy as possible for people to come and vote. We hope that the many people out shopping on Saturday will be encouraged to come in and vote."
Candidates are vying for the town and borough ward vacancies which were left following the resignation of Liberal Democrat Peter Cresswell, who is moving to Cheshire to take a new job.
Dr Cresswell was elected in the 1999 local elections, after gaining 654 votes in the town council ward and 710 in the borough ward.
Polling Stations will be at the William Cobbett Junior School, Weybourne Road and Badshot Lea Village Infant School, Badshot Lea Road, and will be open from 8 am to 9pm.