Over 18s are being urged to register to vote in the local elections in Brighton and Hove.
They have just 48 hours to ensure they can help choose 54 councillors to serve on Brighton and Hove City Council for the next four years.
And their choices will dictate whether the Conservatives continue to run the council or whether Labour or the Greens can take control, perhaps in coalition.
The current council is made up of 25 Conservatives, 13 Labour and 13 Green councillors, one Liberal Democrat and one Independent.
One seat fell vacant when Conservative councillor David Smart died last December.
They will also need to register to vote in the referendum on the voting system used in parliamentary elections.
The council’s returning officer and chief executive John Barradell said: “The deadline to register is Thursday 14 April.
“So if you’re not already registered, don’t delay – it only takes a few minutes.”
To register to vote
- call the council’s elections hotline 01273 291999 or
- print off the form at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/votedoitnow
The referendum question being put to voters is: “At present, the UK uses the ‘first past the post’ system to elect MPs to the House of Commons. Should the ‘alternative vote’ system be used instead?”
Visit www.aboutmyvote.co.uk for further information about the referendum.
The elections and referendum take place on Thursday 5 May with the count being held the next day at Hove Town Hall.
At the last local elections in 2007 fewer than one in three of the 256,000 population of Brighton and Hove turned out to vote.
Just 76,332 voted out of the 198,717 people who were registered to vote.
The council has produced an “infographic” as part of its campaign to encourage residents to use their vote.
The campaign is targeting young residents aged 18 to 24 in particular.
Brighton University graphic design students are producing their own visualisations as part of a collaborative drive to help position Brighton and Hove as an “open data city”.
Open data means sharing public data freely and allowing it to be used to create new technology such as apps to shape the city’s future.
The council’s set of images can be seen on Flickr by clicking here.
Mr Barradell said: “Have your say at the next Brighton and Hove City Council elections.
“We want to encourage everyone over 18 to register and to vote at the upcoming local elections.
“If you are not on the electoral register, you won’t be able to vote.”
“If you feel strongly about issues such as how your rubbish is collected, how safe you feel in the city or how education is provided then it’s important that you have your say.”
