THE statutory notices of election has been published ahead of the Hampshire County Council elections next month.

In Alton, there are two seats up for grabs on Thursday, May 4 – one for Alton Town, the other for Alton Rural.

This marks the first step in the election timetable in the lead up to polling day, when people living in all 76 of the county council’s electoral divisions choose who they want to run the range of essential local services that impact on all aspects of everyday life for the 1.3 million people currently living within the Hampshire County Council area.

Services delivered by the county council include education, roads and social care for vulnerable children and adults, as well as access to the countryside and libraries.

Two divisions (in Fareham and Gosport) elect two councillors, due to the size of the electorate, so Hampshire County Council consists of 78 councillors.

County councillors represent all the people within their divisions, decide how £1.9bn of taxpayers’ money is spent each year, and decide upon the policies to secure high-quality services for the residents of, and visitors to, Hampshire.

Councillors provide a focus for people when they have concerns or want things done, using their knowledge of the area and the issues affecting residents to help the county council make decisions and check the quality of services it delivers.

District councils administer the county council’s four-yearly elections on behalf of John Coughlan, the county returning officer and county council chief executive.

East Hampshire District Council (EHDC) will be responsible for issuing polling cards and applications for postal and proxy votes.

To vote in the county council election, residents must be registered by next Thursday, April 13. To register, visit gov.uk/register-to-vote (you will need your national insurance number) or contact EHDC.

If you cannot get to the polling station on election day, you can still vote by post or appoint someone (a proxy) to vote on your behalf. Contact EHDC for a form.

The deadline for new postal vote applications is 5pm on Tuesday, April 18. For proxy vote applications, it is 5pm on Tuesday, April 25.