SOMERSET will go to the polls to elect a new Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) in May.

The Avon and Somerset PCC is elected to hold Chief Constable and the force to account and act as a “voice of the people”.

Avon and Somerset’s current commissioner is Mark Shelford (Conservative), who was elected to the role in May 2021.

We will publish a full list of candidates and their details when we have them.

When is the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner election?

The election will be held on Thursday, May 2 across the force area, which covers Somerset, North Somerset, Bath, Bristol and South Gloucestershire.

The last elections were held on May 7, 2021 – but they were pushed back by a year because of the outbreak of the Covid pandemic in 2020.

Anyone who wants to vote must aged 18 or over on the day of the poll, on the electoral register and a British, Commonwealth, Irish or European citizen.

They can vote at their polling station, by post or by proxy (appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf).

Residents must register to vote by midnight on Tuesday, April 16.

Anyone who plans to vote who does not have an accepted form of photographic ID (such as a passport, driving licence or an older person’s bus pass) must apply for a voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Wednesday, April 17.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.

PCCs are elected using the first-past-the-post system, meaning people get one vote, and the candidate with the most votes wins.

What do Police and Crime Commissioners do?

Commissioners are responsible for setting the strategic direction and budgets of police forces.

Their overall aim is to cut crime and deliver an effective and efficient police service.

This includes holding their Chief Constable and forces to account, supporting and challenging police performance, setting policing priorities, consulting with local people, setting the police precept in council tax and being accountable to the electorate.

Mr Shelford’s priorities include more visible policing, strengthening specialist teams and increasing partnership working with the NHS and other agencies.

In total, there are 41 PCCs in England and Wales.

How much do Police and Crime Commissioners get paid?

The Association of Police and Crime Commissioners website lists the variance in salary across the country.

The top-earning PCC is Simon Foster in the West Midlands, who earns a salary of £101,900 (band one).

The commissioners for Avon and Somerset, Devon and Cornwall, Hampshire, Kent, Lancashire, Merseyside, Northumbria, South Wales, South Yorkshire, Sussex and Thames Valley receive salaries of £88,600 (band two).

The lowest-earning commissioners are based in Cumbria, Dyfed-Powys, Gloucestershire, Lincolnshire and Warwickshire (£68,200, band five).

However, in three police force areas – Greater London, Greater Manchester and West Yorkshire – responsibility for policing comes under the remit of an elected mayor.

They may appoint a Deputy Mayor for Crime and Policing to carry out this role.

These mayoral areas are not bound by the same salary bands.

What is the turnout for Police and Crime Commissioner elections?

Turnout was 30.7 per cent in the 2021 election.

This saw an increase from the previous election in 2016, when turnout was 26 per cent.

Across the 38 PCC elections held in May 2021, the average turnout was 33.2 per cent, according to a House of Commons report.