Setting off to the North and South polls: A guide to Hackney’s election

Ballot Boxes. Photograph: Anthony Karanja (Creative Commons)

On 7 May, the voters of Hackney will be trooping to polling stations across the borough to return Members to Parliament to represent residents.

Hackney is currently made up of two constituencies, Hackney North and Stoke Newington, and Hackney South and Shoreditch.

Both are fairly safe Labour seats: Diane Abbott has a majority of 14,461 in the North and Meg Hillier leads by 14,288 in the South. This means that a swing of over 15 per cent would be required to alter the partisan complexion of the borough.

Not a few are prepared to fight this uphill battle, however. As in the 2010 General Election, there are candidates from the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives and the Greens in both the north and the south.

Their relative strength can be seen in the pie charts above, which show the 2010 performance of each of main parties.

Turnout in 2010 was 63 per cent in Hackney North and 59 per cent in Hackney South, compared to a UK-wide average of 65 per cent.

One of the interesting questions in Hackney – as elsewhere – is what is likely to happen to the Liberal Democratic vote. Polls predict it will fall dramatically, though pundits are divided as to where previous Liberal Democrat supporters will migrate.

Some, of course will stay at home. Others are likely to vote for the Greens, with whom the Liberal Democrats have long vied for sympathy among a certain demographic.

Those for whom the Liberal Democrat party has been used in the past as a repository for anti-Government protest votes might also opt for UKIP or one of the other candidates standing this year.

Election FAQs

When is the election?

The General Election will be held on Thursday 7 May 2015.

Who are the candidates?

For a full list of candidates for both Hackney constituencies follow this link.

What times will the polling stations
be open?

Polls will open at 7am and close at 10pm.

Can I still register to vote?

The deadline for registration is 20 April. You can register to vote at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or by contacting the Hackney Electoral Registration and Elections Office on 020 8356 3232. For more information about electoral registration, see /www.hackney.gov.uk/elections-electoral-register.htm#.VQ9iG_msXNk.

Can I still register for a postal ballot?

The deadline for requesting a postal ballot is 21 April. To request a postal ballot, contact the Hackney Electoral Registration and Elections Office on 020 8356 3232.

What if I forget to return my postal vote in time?

If you think there is no longer sufficient time to send your postal ballot by mail, you can always bring it along to your polling station on election day.

What if I’ve lost my polling card, or I didn’t get one?

There is a common myth that you need a polling card to vote. You do not, and the polling station staff do not have the right to demand a polling card from you.
In fact, you do not need any form of identification to vote: you just need to be listed on the electoral register at the relevant polling station, and you need to be able to confirm your name and address to the polling staff.