People in Neath Port Talbot urged to vote on Thursday amid confusion following the death of a candidate

Ted Peskett, local democracy reporter

A council has reassured members of the public that the local elections will be taking place in their county borough amid confusion following the death of a candidate.

Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council (NPTCBC) announced last week that the election for the electoral ward of Port Talbot, which was due to take place on May 5, will be rearranged following the death of independent candidate Andrew Tutton.

Elections at all other wards in the county borough will continue to take place on May 5.

A new date for the election to the Port Talbot ward has been set for Thursday, June 23, and new poll cards will be sent to all affected voters.

It is understood that a number of people living outside of the affected ward wrongly believed that their polls were also being delayed.

Vote

A spokesperson for NPTCBC said: “Voters in electoral wards across Neath Port Talbot County Borough are being reminded to use their vote in the Local Government Elections next week.

“Whilst the poll for the Port Talbot Ward has been delayed, due to the sad death of the independent candidate Andrew Tutton, the elections for all of the other contested wards in Neath Port Talbot will go ahead as originally planned on Thursday 5 May.

“Voters will go to the polls to elect County Borough Council seats in 31 electoral wards (two wards are uncontested). In addition there will be contests for certain Town and Community Council areas up for election.”

Voters who cannot make it to the polling station on the new date for the electoral ward of Port Talbot will be advised on how to arrange a postal or proxy vote. Any already returned postal votes for the Port Talbot ward will no longer count.

Postal voters affected will be sent a new postal vote. The new ballot papers will be lilac-coloured to help voters make sure they return the correct one.

Other candidates who were preparing to stand for Port Talbot on May 5 alongside Mr Tutton include independent candidate Kimberley Isherwood; Saifur Rahaman and Sharon Freeguard for Labour; and Plaid Cymru’s Melissa Stanford-Roberts.

Polling Stations across Neath Port Talbot open from 7.00am until 10.00pm on 5 May 2022.