On the 5^th May 2022, local authorities across Wales will be holding elections to the County Council and Town/Community Councils within their areas.

For Monmouthshire, there will be elections throughout the area to elect 46 County Councillors and just under 300 community/town councillors.

Interested in standing for election? Visit our page dedicated to candidates and election agents which gives you everything you need to know when considering standing for election.

Alternatively the WLGA are running a be a councillor campaign and information can be found here.

Over 90 polling stations will be open throughout Monmouthshire between 7am and 10pm on the 5^th May 2022 to enable you to cast your vote. In order to cast your vote you must be registered on the electoral roll. Every elector registered to vote will be sent a poll card by the end of March 2022 – this will tell you which polling station you are allocated to and how to cast your vote. If you do not receive your poll card by the end of March you should contact us on 01633 644212 to check if you are registered to vote.

Registering to Vote

If you want to vote at this election you must ensure you have registered to vote. Please register now if you have not already done so or not recieved your poll card. You can register online at www.gov.uk/registertovote and will need your national insurance number and date of birth in order to complete the registration process.

Applications to register to vote must be received by the 14th April 2022 to be applicable for these elections.

If you are turning 16 on or before the 5th May 2022 you will be eligible to vote in these elections for the first time. You do not need to wait until you are 16 to register to vote. Register to vote before you turn 16 to ensure you are registered and eligible to vote at the election.

Voting by Post or Proxy

If you not going to be able to visit a polling station or would prefer to vote by other means then you can make alternative arrangements to vote by post, or appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf at your polling station. More information on voting by post or proxy including application forms is available or alternatively you can contact the elections office on 01633 644212 or email elections@monmouthshire.gov.uk. Applications can be returned as scanned images to the above email address or by post to Electoral Registration, Monmouthshire County Council, County Hall, The Rhadyr, Usk, NP15 1GA.

Postal votes will be dispatched in two tranches. Any elector who is registered for a postal vote by the 30th March 2022 can expect to receive their postal vote around the 22nd April 2022. Anyone applying for a postal vote after this date can expect to receive their postal vote no later than the 28th April 2022. You will need to consider these dates when applying for a postal vote to ensure you are available to complete and return the postal vote to us.

Applications for voting by post must be submitted accurately by 5pm on the 19th April 2022.

Applications for voting by proxy must be submitted accurately to us by 5pm on the 26th April 2022.

A guide on how to complete and return your postal vote is included within your postal vote.

If you do not receive your postal vote as expected, a replacement cannot be issued until the 29th April 2022. We would recommend you visit County Hall, Usk bringing photographic ID with you, to obtain a replacement postal vote rather than rely on another to be posted to you given the close proximity to polling day.

Whilst you are entitled to deliver your postal vote to any polling station within the Monmouth Constituency on polling day we would encourage you to return the postal vote to us in the post as soon as possible. Arrangements at polling stations will be different due to the pandemic and may result in queues at the polling stations.

16 & 17 year old voters

These elections will be the first time 16 & 17 year olds can vote in local elections following the Senedd elections in May 2021 where they could vote for the first time.

Information on the voting process, details of who you are voting for and what they do as well as information on political party campaigning is available here.

A quick video on how you cast your vote in the polling station is below.

What and who am I voting for?

Depending on where you live in Monmouthshire will depend on how many elections take place. It could be that insufficient candidates put their name forward for the community council and there is only an election for the County Council taking place. In other areas there could be both elections taking place. You will know this either by checking the notices below or when you receive your ballot papers to vote.

Candidates wishing to stand for election will need to submit nomination papers to the Returning Officer no later than 4pm on the 5th April 2022. Only at the point will the details of the candidates be known and be publicly available.

We will publish the details of candidates standing for election on the 6th April 2022.

How do I know the result of the election?

Voting in this election will take place on the 5th May 2022 however the counting of the votes wont take place until the following day. Throughout the afternoon and evening of the 6th May 2022 the election results will be available on the Council website for you to see the results and who your new councillors are.