Wiganers go to the polls in the first "all out" elections in years
and live on Freeview channel 276
There are a total of 176 candidates vying for all 75 seats in the Town Hall’s council chamber today (Thursday May 4).
Usually only a third of seats are up for grabs at any one time, but this year is different because of the introduction of boundary changes in certain areas.
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Hide AdIt makes for slightly more complicated voting, with the public asked to put a cross next to three candidates’ names on the ballot papers.
There are three seats available in every ward across the borough and Labour are the only party fielding three candidates in each ward.
The Conservative Party has candidates in every ward and there has been a rise in the number of independents looking to snatch a seat away from the well-known parties.
The three candidates winning the most votes in each of the 25 wards will be elected onto the council with the ones with the biggest share staying the longest before having to stand again and the ones garnering the fewest staying the shortest period before their seat is re-contested.
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Hide AdVoters are reminded that they must bring a form of photo ID in order to exercise their democratic right.
Polling stations remain open until 10pm today with the counts not taking place late at night but at Wigan and Leigh during the day tomorrow (May 5).
The results for Leigh are expected at around 2pm and those for Wigan at around 5pm.
The full list of candidates is as follows:
Abram
David Bowker (IND)
Nazia Rehman (LAB)
Eunice Smethurst (LAB)
Martyn Smethurst (LAB)
Graham Suddick (LIB)
Janet Walch (CON)
Ashton
Joanne Bradley (IND)
Andrew Bullen (LAB)
Jenny Bullen (LAB)
Danny Fletcher (LAB)
Stephen Hanway (IND)
Paul Martin (CON)
Geoffrey Matthews (LIB)
Gary Wilkes (IND)
Aspull, New Springs & Whelley
Ron Conway (LAB)
Carl Davies (UKIP)
Laura Flynn (LAB)
Gerard Houlton (CON)
Chris Ready (LAB)
Astley
Trevor Barton (CON)
Christine Roberts (LAB)
Sandra Robinson (Heritage Party)
Sean Roocroft (LIB)
David Stirzaker (CON)
Eileen Strathearn (CON)
Barry Taylor (LAB)
Paula Wakefield (LAB)
Atherton North
Keith Barton (CON)
Paul Blinkhorn (LAB)
Matthew Brown (LAB)
Rick Carter (Atherton North Independent)
Martin Farrimond (IND)
Stuart Gerrard (INDNET)
Julie Hilling (LAB)
Jamie Hodgkinson (INDNET)
Quinton Smith (Atherton North Independent)
James Watson (INDNET)
Atherton South and Lilford
Rachael Flaszczak (INDNET)
Luke Greenhalgh (Leigh and Atherton Independent)
Mary Halliday (INDNET)
John Harding (LAB)
Lee McStein (LAB)
Cameron Smith (Leigh and Atherton Independent)
Debra Wailes (LAB)
Anthony Waite (INDNET)
Kathryn Williams (CON)
Bryn with Ashton-in-Makerfield North
John Cookson (IND)
Margaret Gaffney (LAB)
Steve Jones (IND)
Samantha Lloyd (LAB)
Scarlett Myler (IND)
Sandra Swift (LAB)
Sylvia Wilkinson (IND)
Marie Winstanley (CON)
Douglas
Margaret Atherton (CON)
Mary Callaghan (LAB)
Matthew Dawber (LAB)
Patricia Draper (LAB)
Peter Jacobs (GREEN)
Golborne and Lowton West
Brian Aspinall (REFORM)
Stanley Crook (CON)
Susan Gambles (LAB)
Richard Houlton (CON)
Yvonne Klieve (LAB)
Gena Merrett (LAB)
Angela Roberts (CON)
Stuart Worthington (LIB)
Hindley
Paul Blay (LAB)
Hilda Byrne (INDNET)
Jim Churton (LAB)
David Culshaw (IND)
Jim Ellis (INDNET)
Susan Ellis (INDNET)
Jordan Gaskell (UK Independence)
John Skipworth (LIB)
Frederick Stuart (CON)
James Talbot (LAB)
Hindley Green
David Aitchison (LAB)
Bob Brierley (IND)
Paul Chapman (CON)
Jim Palmer (LAB)
Mark Prescott (IND)
Gary Skipworth (LIB)
John Vickers (LAB)