‘Stop people voting’ - Liverpudlians react to major change to local elections

Local elections will take place across the UK on Thursday, 4 May, and voters in Liverpool are being advised to check their polling cards and be aware of changes regarding ID, wards and locations of polling stations.

We hit the steets of Liverpool to gauge your thoughts on the importance of the elections and the changes to the voting procedure. Selected responses are below, to see all the responses watch the video at the top of this page.

• Jimmy: "I think it’s a cynical move by the Tory government to stop people voting."
• John: "It’s like Big Brother is watching it isn’t it. They don’t take your word that it’s you."
• Julie: "It’s taking away from a lot of people who don’t know what type of ID they can take."

Identification: Residents hoping to carry out their democratic duty will have to carry with them a driving licence, passport or other acceptable form of identification. This has been introduced following the passing of the Elections Act 2022 through Parliament last April.

Wards: Some ward boundaries have changed significantly following a review carried out by the Local Government Boundary Commission. The redesigned electoral map has 64 wards and 85 councillors, compared with 30 wards and 90 councillors previously. Most people will be in a new ward, and some people will be voting at a new polling station. People are being asked to check their polling cards for details. It will include a location map of their polling station.

Mayor and elections: Liverpool is also doing away with the role of Mayor this time around, with the Council returning to a leader and cabinet model. From now on, elections will only be held once every four years, with every seat being contested. The elections will determine the Council's political makeup for the next four years.