Election day 5 May: deadline 14 April for new registrations and postal vote requests

With both local elections and a UK-wide referendum taking place on Thursday 5 May, you need to make sure you are registered in time to vote. With several bank holidays coming up, residents who are going to be away on 5 May can also apply to vote by post or by proxy.

New voters and postal voters must be registered by Thursday 14 April. 197,000 poll cards have already been issued.To apply for a postal or proxy vote, either register online via www.centralbedfordshire.gov.uk website or for more information, phone the Electoral Service Team on 0300 300 8008.

The elections will decide who sits on Central Bedfordshire Council for the next four years and also establish who will make up town and parish councils across the district.

The referendum is on the voting system used for elections to the UK Parliament. The question being put to voters on 5 May 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?"

The Electoral Commission, the independent elections watchdog, is sending a booklet to every household in the UK with information about how to have your say on 5 May.