Work underway in Peterborough for EU elections

Due to the latest delay to Brexit the country is set to vote on new MEPs on Thursday, May 23.

Results are then verified that night before being counted on the Sunday in line with the rest of the country.

The process will take place at the Town Hall.

Peterborough City Council said its elections team has begun planning, with poll cards being ordered, polling stations being booked and staff needed to man the polling stations and verify and count the votes being contacted.

Unlike parliamentary elections, where constituents elect a single MP to represent them on a First Past the Post system, European elections are run through Proportional Representation.

Voters choose which party to back, and the number of MEPs each party receives is in line with their vote share (e.g. a party receiving 50 per cent of the votes receives 50 per cent of the seats).

MEPs are chosen from a party list rather than voted for directly.

MEPs also represent regions - i.e. the East of England for Peterborough - rather than smaller constituencies.

Currently in our region, UKIP and the Conservatives both have three MEPs, while Labour has one.