Dont lose your chance to Vote

Don’t lose you chance to vote in next months European Parliament elections. The elections take place on Thursday 4 June - but the deadline for registering to vote is much earlier - Tuesday 19 May.

Residents who usually vote at the Central Library, Romford, which is currently closed for refurbishment, will need to go to Romford Baptist Church, Main Road. This site opposite the Town Hall has parking facilities and disabled access.

Elections to the European Parliament take place every five years. There will be seventy-two members of the European Parliament (MEPs) representing the United Kingdom after the 2009 elections. Eight of these MEPs will be elected to represent the London region.

European elections are held using proportional representation, which means the number of seats a party gains is directly related to the proportion of votes their party receives.

The parliament has a significant influence on the lives of EU members. For example, many laws passed by Westminster are drafted in response to European directives.People may feel that what happens in Brussels doesn't matter to them - but that is not the case. Every vote will count - don't waste yours.

The deadlines for the election are as follows:

last day to register to vote is Tuesday 19 May
last day to request a new postal vote is 5pm Tuesday 19 May
last day to request a new proxy vote is 5pm Wednesday 27 May

Forms for any of the above are available by contacting 01708 432444/5 or emailing elections@havering.gov.ukFor more information please go to the Elections page on Havering’s web site.