Here's everything you need to know ahead of Lincolnshire Police and Crime Commissioner elections

The role of a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is to hold its force to account and be the voice of the people who elected them, holding overall responsibility for the totality of the force.

Ultimately, the PCC for Lincolnshire will be in charge of strategy and finances for the county’s police force, as well as holding the power to hire and fire Chief Constables, who are responsible for day-to-day operations.

Lincolnshire’s current Police and Crime Commissioner Marc Jones (Conservative) has been in post since 2016 and last won re-election in 2021.

This time around, he faces competition from candidates of the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and the English Democrats.

The candidates for each party are Marc Jones, Conservative; Mike Horder, Labour; Lesley Rollings, Liberal Democrat; Peter Escreet, Reform and David Dickason, English Democrats.

The election itself will take place between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, May 2, but there are plenty of important dates to note down before the day of the vote itself.

Remember you must bring a form of photo ID to ensure your vote can be cast, whether it be a passport or a driving licence. However, you can also apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if either your name is different on ID to what it is on the electoral register, or if you no longer look like the photograph on your current ID.

To do so, visit the voter ID section of the gov.uk website. You have until 5pm on Wednesday, April 24, to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for the May elections.

To get involved with the voting you don’t have to go to the ballot box yourself, as you can apply for a postal vote or a proxy, where someone can cast your vote on your behalf.

However, both of these options have dated deadlines you have to meet in order for the vote to be eligible.

Polling stations will be situated all over Lincolnshire within district council areas, with information as to where you can vote available on your polling card once that arrives.