Polling stations open for Bradford Council and Police and Crime Commissioner elections

From 7am until 10pm a stream of voters will arrive at polling stations across the district.

There will be a live blog running tomorrow with the results as we receive them at www.telegraphandargus.co.uk

VOTERS Q&A

Q. I can't remember if I registered, how do I check?

A. If you have registered you will either have received a polling card or if you have registered for a postal vote, a postal voting pack.

If you have lost either of these you can check with your local council to see whether you are registered.

Q. Where do I vote?

A. Your polling card will have your name on it and show the address of the polling station where you are registered to vote.

If you have registered to vote by post, the deadline for casting ballots has passed, but you may still fill out your vote and take it to your local polling station.

You can also check with your local council to see which is your polling station.

Q. When are the polling stations open?

A. Polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm on Thursday May 5.

If you are at a particularly busy station and find yourself in a queue at 10pm you will still be allowed to cast your ballot thanks to a recent change in the law.

But if you arrive before 7am or after 10pm, you will not be able to vote.

Q. What do I do once I get to the polling station?

A. You first need to give your name and address to a member of staff who has a list of registered voters.

If you are registered you will be handed ballot papers and directed to the voting booths, where you will cast your ballot.

You do not necessarily need to take your polling card with you but it can speed up the process.

Q. What should I mark down on the ballot paper?

A. Put an 'X' in the box next to the candidate you want to vote for and make sure no one can see you do it.

Once you have marked your preference, fold the paper in half, and put it in the polling station's ballot box.

Pencils will be provided but you may use your own pen.

If you mark the paper in any other way it will be counted as spoilt, but if you make a mistake you may swap your paper for a new one with a member of staff, provided it has not gone into the ballot box.

Q. What if I do not want to vote for any of the candidates?

A. You can spoil your ballot paper by marking it in any other way than an 'X' next to one candidate.

This will then be counted as a spoilt ballot.

But if you are a disillusioned voter who wants to express your displeasure at the options in front of you, writing "none of the above" will not count specifically as a rejection of all the candidates - it will simply be counted as another spoilt ballot.

Q. What about social media? Can I take selfies? Or post my vote on Twitter and Facebook?

A. The Electoral Commission advises voters not to take photos, including selfies, inside the polling station as the law covering this area is complex.

A badly taken polling booth selfie in particular could inadvertently reveal how you or someone else has voted, potentially breaking laws around secret ballots.

Once outside the polling station you are free to post on social media about which party you voted for.

Q. What if I am disabled and need help voting?

A. If you are disabled and need help getting to the polling station, contact your local elections office to find out what help is available.

You may also ask to have a companion with you when you vote.

The full list of Bradford Council candidates:

Baildon
Peter Joseph Ashton (Lab)

John Malcolm Charles Cole (Lib Dem)

Debbie Davies (Con)

Carl Andrew Dunk (Green)

Dale Andrew Normington (Ukip).
 

Bingley
Matthew Clive Edwards (Green)

Sara Genine Hardman (Ukip)

John Allan Pennington (Con)

Peter Shannon Russell (Lib Dem)

Joe Wheatley (Lab)

Bingley Rural
Helen Baranowski (Lib Dem)

Derrick John Hodgson (Ukip)

Brian Newham (Green)

Barney James Simkins O'Connor (Lab)

Naveed Riaz (Con)

Bolton and Undercliffe
Jonathan Daniel Stewart Barras (Ukip)

Frank Dignan (Lab)

Alexander Charles Newsham (Green)

David Ward (Lib Dem)

Geoff Whiteley (Con)

Bowling and Barkerend 
Altaf Hussain (Con)

Hassan Uzzaman Khan (Lab)

Bacha Sayed (Lib Dem)

Ian Slattery (TUSC)

Bradford Moor
Riaz Ahmed (Lib Dem)

Naveed Ilyas (Con)

Sabiya Khan (Lab)
 

City
Aneela Bano Ahmed (Lab)

Munir Ahmed (Con)

David Cooper (Green)

Tariq Mahmood (Lib Dem)

Clayton and Fairweather Green
Harry Boota (Con)

Steven Michael Cotterill (Lib Dem)

Norma Russell (Green)

Anjali Michelle Swallow (Lab and Co-operative)

James David Vasey (Ukip)

Craven
Val Carroll (Lab)

Peter William Clarke (Con)

Gerald Stuart Ebden (Lib Dem)

Peter Alan Rawstron Ferguson (Green)

Adrian Paul Naylor (Ind)

Eccleshill
Lara Joy Barras (Ukip)

Helen Love (Green)

Terry Pearson (Con)

Munsaf Dad Saddiq (Lab)

Brendan Robert Stubbs (Lib Dem)

Great Horton
Jamie Illingworth (Ukip)

Abdul Jabar (Lab)

Hashim Mohammad Kohan (Con)

Mary Slingsby (Lib Dem)

Michael John Stanlick (Green)

Heaton
Sajid Akhtar (Con)

Celia Ruth Hickson (Green)

Salman Sayed (Lib Dem)

Mohammad Shabbir (Lab)

Idle and Thackley
Falak Naz Ahmed (Con)

Garry Blackmore (Ukip)

Sarah Elizabeth Dick (Green)

Alun Owen Griffiths (Lib Dem)

Rupert Oliver (Lab)

Ilkley
Paul Marcus Barrett (Con)

Claire Darling (Green)

Anne Gillian Hawkesworth (Ind)

Kay Kirkham (Lib Dem)

Paul John Latham (Ukip)

Henri Forbes Murison (Lab)

Keighley Central
Kaneez Akthar (Lab)

Allah Ditta (Ind)

Mark Philip Hudson (Ukip)

Khadim Hussain (Ind)

Daisy May Knight (Green)

Paul Michael Mann (Lib Dem)

Abdul Nasser Razak (Con)

Keighley East
Martin Beetham (Lib Dem)

Mark Eric Shaw (Ukip)

Malcolm Slater (Lab)

Mark Francis Startin (Con)

Jonni Thurling (Green)

Keighley West
Margaret Isobel Chadwick (Lib Dem)

Ian Ross Dermondy (Ukip)

Adrian Stuart Farley (Lab)

Brian Richard Ford (Green)

Christopher John Herd (Con)

Little Horton
Nurjahan Ali Arobi (Green)

Omar Hussain (Lab)

Talat Sajawal (Ind)

Rizwan Sakhawat (Con)

Ian Vipond (Lib Dem)

Manningham
Ghazanfar Hussain (Con)

Mohammed Ishrat Mirza (Lib Dem)

Sarfraz Nazir (Lab)

John Edward Robinson (Green)

Queensbury
Lynda Jane Cromie (Ind)

Eithne Mary Dodwell (Green)

James Hunt (Lib Dem)

Jason Paul Smith (Ukip)

Michael Walls (Con)

Andy Walsh (Lab)

Royds
Shauna Ann Devonshire (Lib Dem)

Ryan John Gerald Robertshaw (Con)

Andrew Thornton (Lab)

Lois Wood (Ukip)

Shipley
Christine Betty Briggs (Lib Dem)

Martin John Love (Green)

Ben Pickles (Lab)

David John Servant (Con)

Thornton and Allerton
Susan Anne Elliott (Lib Dem)

Helen Elizabeth Marriott (Green)

Michael Evan McCabe (Ukip)

Beverley Winifred Mullaney (Lab)

Charles Malcolm Sykes (Con)

Toller
Amjad Ali (Lib Dem)

Sean Dobiech (Green)

Arshad Hussain (Lab)

Kasir Bashir Hussain (Ind)

Raja Altaf Hussain (Con)

Tong
Michael Johnson (Lab)

Lincoln Stead (Ukip)

Eddie Ward (Con)

Kirsty Louise Yeadon (Lib Dem)

Wharfedale
Caroline Rebecca Davison Firth (Lab)

Bob Jones (Lib Dem)

Dale Smith (Con)

Janet Souyave (Green)

Wibsey
Brian James Boulton (Lib Dem)

David Michael Adam Green (Lab)

Bernie Pringle (Ukip)

Andrew Martin Robinson (Green)

Richard Ian Sheard (Con)

Khurram Shehzad (Ind)

Windhill and Wrose
Hong Vi La (Ukip)

George Alexander Morrall (Con)

Alex Ross-Shaw (Lab)

Gillian Thorne (Lib Dem)

Phillip Thornton (Green)

Worth Valley
Russell Brown (Con)

Kevin Leahi Campbell-Wright (Green)

Mark Bernard Curtis (Lab)

John Stevens Kirby (Ukip)

Alan Sykes (Lib Dem)

Wyke
Kevin Anthony Hall (Lib Dem)

James Graham Lewthwaite (British Democrats)

Darren James Parkinson (Green)

David Alexander Robinson (Ind)

Francesca Louise Stefanyszyn (Con)

Rosie Watson (Lab)

John James Worsley (Ukip)

The Police and Crime Commissioner candidates:

Conservative - Allan Joseph Doherty

English Democrats - Therese Hirst

Labour - Mark Burns-Williamson

Liberal Democrats - Barry Stewart Golton

Ukip - Peter Allan Gilchrist Corkindale