Polling cards for the election for the new Somerset Council, town and parish councils on Thursday, May 5 are arriving on doormats across the county.

Shepton Mallet residents are being advised to check their poll card to make sure that they know which polling station they need to use on 5 May as some locations have changed. You can also check where your polling station is online at wheredoivote.co.uk

If you don't receive a poll card, make sure you are registered to vote. This is important if you have recently moved house. This needs to be done by Thursday, April 14 to make sure that you can have your say at the ballot box. The easiest way to register is by visiting www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. There's no need to re-register if you already are on the electoral roll.

These are crucial elections for Somerset with the creation of a new, unitary council in April 2023 – the first major change to the way the county is governed in almost 50 years. New councillors will build a new and very different kind of local government, that will shape the county for decades.

For their first year, the councillors will take responsibility for all current Somerset County Council services and oversee the local government reorganisation to establish a single unitary council on April 1 2023.

District councils will remain until March 31 2023 and the councillors serving on them will continue in their roles until that date.

There are several ways to have your say in the elections in May – you can vote in a polling station, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, which is known as a proxy vote, and it is never too early to apply for a postal or proxy vote.

Residents can still vote if they are away from Somerset on the May 5 polling day. If you're thinking about voting by post, you can apply now, the deadline for postal applications is 5pm on April 19. The deadline for proxy votes is 5pm on April 26. If you want to apply for a postal or proxy vote, please contact Mendip District Council.