In a little over a month’s time, at the start of May, voters in Gloucester will be going to the polls to vote in one of the most complicated and difficult elections for many years. Voters will be asked to elect their County Councillor, their City Councillors, which may be 1, 2 or 3 councillors depending on the ward – an election delayed from May 2020 – and the Police and Crime Commissioner, also delayed from last year.

The difficulties around these elections are primarily because there are three different elections, and possibly four if there is any contest in the Town Council elections in Quedgeley. Add to the number of different votes to cast, the problem of maintaining social distancing, not only for voters but also for election staff manning the polling stations. There are also issues about cleaning throughout the day and also at the end of the day, before the polling station is returned to its regular use.

Limited time for postal votes

It’s pertinent to remind readers that there are options to apply for a postal vote, although time is now short to get this organised in time for the election. An application must be received by 20th April. With a postal vote the risk of catching Covid at the polling station is eliminated, but the risk of that happening at the polling station will be very low, as there are detailed plans to ensure risks are minimised.

In the meantime, the pace of the vaccination roll-out continues. I have written to the Director of Public Health, the Clinical Commissioning Group, Gloucestershire Hospitals Trust and the Primary Care Trust to thank them for their magnificent efforts in ensuring the infection rate is steadily reduced, in organising the roll-out of vaccinations and in the care they have provided for those ill in care homes and hospitals. As each person receives their jab, so the overall risk is reduced.

It has been a horrendous year since the start of the pandemic in March 2020. People have undergone extraordinary difficulties – some have lost jobs and income, some have been very sick or sadly died – but I genuinely now look with confidence at the future. As more and more people are protected, more and more of the restrictions will be lifted. As the days lengthen and warm up, more of us will begin a return to what we hope will be normality. Until then, keep safe and hopefully well.