SOMERSET residents are days away from finding out who will be governing them and providing their local services for the next five years, writes Daniel Mumby, Local Democracy Reporter.

Residents will visit their local polling station on May 5 to vote for 110 councillors who will sit on the new unitary Somerset Council, which will ultimately replace the existing county council and four district councils.

More than 300 candidates are standing across the 55 divisions, with a number of close races expected and a number of significant familiar faces not throwing their hat into the ring.

But what happens after the polling stations close – when will we know the results? And what happens next?

Here’s what you need to know:

What happens on polling day?

You’ll be able to vote for the candidates in your division on May 5 any time between 7am and 10pm.

Your local polling station will be listed on your polling card, which will arrive in the post before polling day – though you don’t have to take it with you when you vote.

If you want to find out where your local polling station is before polling day itself, visit electoralcommission.org.uk and type in your postcode.

While the deadline for applying for a postal vote has already passed, you can still apply for a proxy vote until April 26 – and can get an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm on election day if you cannot vote in person.

What happens when the polls close?

Once the polls close, the ballot boxes will be sealed and transported to the venues where the counts are taking place.

Once the ballot boxes arrive at the count venues, they will be verified – a process which should be completed at around 2am on May 6.

Rather than count all 55 divisions in one place, there will be four counts, one for each of the existing districts.

Votes in the Mendip divisions (including seats in Frome, Glastonbury, Shepton Mallet, Street and Wells) will be counted at The Royal Bath & West Showground near Shepton Mallet.

Votes in the Sedgemoor divisions (including seats in Bridgwater, Burnham-on-Sea, Cheddar and Highbridge) will be counted at The Canalside on Marsh Lane in Bridgwater.

Votes in the Somerset West and Taunton divisions (including seats in Minehead, Taunton, Watchet, Wellington and Williton) will be counted at the Wellsprings Leisure Centre on Cheddon Road in Taunton.

Votes in the South Somerset divisions (including seats in Chard, Crewkerne, Ilminster, Wincanton and Yeovil) will be counted at the Westlands Entertainment Venue on Westbourne Close in Yeovil.

When will we get the results?

In each of the four venues, the counts will start at 10am on May 6, with the results being declared in batches by the returning officer as the day goes on.

Given that verification will have already been completed, and barring any recounts or other challenges, the full results will probably be declared by 4pm.

The results for town and parish councils will not be known until the following day, since the count for those elections will take place on May 7 (although some areas may start sooner).

What happens after the result?

If any one party emerges with enough seats to govern alone – a minimum of 56 out of 110 – then they will form a government.

If no one party has enough seats, there will be some negotiations with other parties, either to create a coalition or to allow the largest party to govern in a minority through a confidence and supply agreement (as employed by prime minister Theresa May after the 2017 general election).

In either eventuality, the new administration will be formally in charge by the time of the next full county council meeting, which is scheduled to be held in Bridgwater on May 25.

For the first 12 months of the new councillors’ term, they will oversee the transition to the new unitary council, as well as taking decisions on current county council matters, such as children’s services and adult social care.

During this time, the four district councils will continue making decisions – including on planning applications, licensing and environmental health issues.

On April 1, 2023, the four district councils will formally cease to exist, with all their assets and responsibilities transferring to the new Somerset Council.

After this, the councillors elected will serve a further four years before the next local elections in May 2027.