Borderers choose new councillors

The electorate is being reminded that when they come to cast their vote on Thursday, May 5, it is numbers that count.

This election is to again use a form of voting called single transferable vote, where voters number candidates in order of choice.

You must mark 1 by your first choice candidate, a 2 by your second, a 3 by your third and so on. You can put down as many or as few numbers as you wish.

Polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm and the count will be held the following day.

Voters are being encouraged to check where they will vote. Details of your polling station will be on your poll card, but you can also check online using your post code at www.wheredoivote.co.uk

A small number of polling stations have been changed since the Scottish Parliament election last year, including:

Abbey St Bathans – Abbey St Bathans instead of Abbey Kirk Duns – Southfield Community Centre instead of Volunteer Hall Eccles – Leitholm Village Hall instead of Eccles Village Hall Kelso – Kelso High School assembly hall instead of Border Ice Rink Peebles – Priorsford Primary School instead of Peebles High School

There are 11 wards in the region with a total of 34 councillors to be elected. Each ward elects three candidates with the exception of Galashiels and District, where four candidates will be elected.

The single transferable voting system has been used in council elections since 2007, where a candidate must reach a set amount of votes to be elected, called a quota.