Have your say – by voting in the European elections

Don’t forget to ‘have your say’ – by voting in the European Parliament elections on Thursday 23 May.
More than five million people across North West England have the opportunity to vote in these elections to select the region’s eight Members of the European Parliament (MEPs).
The North West European Elections take place across the region on Thursday 23 May – with more than 300 polling stations across Cheshire East. The count of those ballot papers will take place on Sunday 26 May in Macclesfield, with the declaration taking place in Manchester on Sunday 26 May, after polls close across Europe.

European Union citizens living in the North West, who are registered to vote, can vote in either the UK or in their country of origin – but not both.

A full list of candidates for the European Parliament Elections is available online via the Cheshire East Council website: www.cheshireeast.gov.uk/council_and_democracy/voting_and_elections/elections/european-election-2019.aspx

Kath O'Dwyer, Cheshire East Council’s Local Returning Officer for the European elections in the borough, said: “It is important for the vigour and strength of our democracy that residents engage with the democratic process and that people, who are eligible, go out and vote on polling day and have their say.

“If you don’t vote, you don’t have a voice. So I would urge every registered voter to take the time to vote and be heard.”

The European Parliament Elections are run using a form of proportional representation. Voters have one vote only and this can be cast for either a political party or an individual candidate. Each political party puts forward a list of candidates for the North West and the number of MEPs that are elected will depend on the overall share of the vote that a party or individual candidate receives in the region.
MEPs represent the whole of the North West region – so everybody who is eligible to vote in the region will be voting for the same list of parties and candidates.