Chorley Council elections 2024: who are the candidates and how can I vote?

Fourteen of the authority’s 42 seats are up grabs at the poll on 2nd May - one in each ward.

The majority of the contests will be three-way battles between candidates representing the ruling Labour group, the Conservative opposition and the borough’s Green Party.

However, in four of the seats, voters will also have the choice of a Liberal Democrat candidate and, in another four wards, will find a Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition representative on their ballot paper, after that party quadrupled the number of seats it was contesting in the district compared to the last two years.

HOW DO I VOTE?

The polls will be open on Thursday, 2nd May from 7am until 10pm - and voters must take a suitable form of photo ID with them in order to cast their ballot in person (see ‘What do I need to vote?’ section below).

Anybody not currently on the electoral roll must ensure they register to vote - the deadline for which is 16th April.

Voting by post is also an option. Applications for a postal vote must be received by 17th April and ballot papers must arrive at Preston Town Hall by polling day. If it gets too late to post your vote back, you can take it to your local polling station on the day of the election, up until 10pm.

Proxy votes can also be obtained in some circumstances - meaning someone else can vote on your behalf if you cannot make it to a polling station for a limited number of reasons. Applications for a proxy vote must be received by 24th April.

However, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote if you discover only after that deadline has passed that you will not be able vote in person, including for medical or employment reasons. In such instances, you can apply for a proxy vote until 5pm on election day itself.

WHO CAN I VOTE FOR?

These are the candidates in each of Chorley Council’s 14 wards, along with the parties they represent (an asterisk denotes an incumbent councillor in the ward):

Adlington and Anderton

NEIL BAGLOW - Conservative Party

SALLY FELTON - Green Party

KIM SNAPE* - Labour and Co-operative Party

Buckshaw and Whittle

RUSSELL GREEN - Labour Party

AIDY RIGGOTT* - Conservative Party

RACHEL SMITH - Green Party

Chorley East

MARK GRANDI - Conservative Party

CATHERINE HUNTER-ROSSALL - Green Party

HASINA KHAN* - Labour Party

AAMIR KHANSAHEB - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

Chorley North and Astley

RYAN GROGAN - Conservative Party

TAHIR KHANSAHEB - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

ADRIAN LOWE* - Labour Party

JON ROYLE - Green Party

Chorley North East

SIMON CASH - Green Party

MARGARET FRANCE* - Labour Party

GREGORY MORGAN - Conservative Party

Chorley North West

AARON BEAVER* - Labour and Co-operative Party

ARIF KHANSAHEB - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

PETER MALPAS - Conservative Party

MARK TEBBUTT - Green Party

Chorley South East and Heath Charnock

ALISTAIR BRADLEY* - Labour and Co-operative Party

JENNY HURLEY - Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition

SANDRA MERCER - Conservative Party

JANE WESTON - Green Party

Chorley South West

OLGA CASH - Green Party

PETER DAVENPORT - Conservative Party

KATIE WILKIE - Labour Party

Clayton East, Brindle and Hoghton

IRENE AMAHWE - Labour Party

ALAN CULLENS* - Conservative Party

GAIL ORMSTON - Liberal Democrat

PAULINE SUMMERS - Green Party

Clayton West and Cuerden

SAM CHAPMAN - Conservative Party

MARK CLIFFORD* - Labour Party

STEPHEN FENN - Liberal Democrat

CLARE HALES - Green Party

Coppull

ANNE CALDERBANK - Green Party

CONOR DAWSON - Conservative Party

ALEX HILTON* - Labour Party

Croston, Mawdesley and Euxton South

JOHN CLARE - Green Party

MARK FROST - Liberal Democrat

DEBRA PLATT* - Conservative Party

CAROLINE TURNER - Labour and Co-operative Party

Eccleston, Heskin and Charnock Richard

STEVE BLAND - Conservative Party

SEF CHURCHILL - Green Party

ROWAN POWER - Liberal Democrat

ALAN WHITTAKER* - Labour Party

Euxton

DANNY GEE* - Labour and Co-operative Party

MADELEINE HOUGHTON - Green Party

CHRISTINE TURNER - Conservative Party

WHAT DO I NEED TO VOTE?

To vote in person at a polling station, you will need one of the following forms of photo identification (the ID is permitted to be out of date, but must still be a good likeness of you):

***a passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, a European Economic Area (EEA state) or a Commonwealth country;

***a photo driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state;

***a blue badge ;

***an older person's bus pass;

***a disabled person's bus pass;

***an Oyster 60+ Card;

*** a Freedom Pass;

***an identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card);

***a biometric immigration document;

***a Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card);

*** a national identity card issued by an EEA state.

If you do not have any of the above forms ID, you should apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by the deadline of 5pm on 24 April.

WHERE DO I VOTE?

The polling card sent to your address ahead of the election will tell you at which polling station you must cast your vote.