Andoverians have urged fellow residents to get out and vote at local elections.

Votes for a variety of offices are being held today (Thursday, May 6). In Andover, these include county council, borough council and parish council elections, as well as those for the role of police and crime commissioner.

The prevailing mood amongst voting age residents in Andover was that everyone who can vote should take the opportunity to exercise their democratic rights. This view was shared across a spectrum of ages.

Pensioner Mrs Hedderly said that it was "important to get voting."

She told the Advertiser: "We should vote, yes. Our forebears went through enough to get it [the right] for us."

She added that she felt less informed about local elections than other votes, saying: "I think they could do a lot more. There's not very much put into it."

This was a view shared by Lyn, who lives in one of the villages around Andover. She said: "It's difficult to know something about what you're voting for."

She decided to vote by post at this election, which she said was for convenience rather than health concerns. "Postal voting gives you the freedom to do what you like on the day of election," she said.

She said that she had only received leaflets from many parties after she had submitted her vote, which made it "difficult" to decide, especially at a local level. However, she said that those with the vote should use it.

At the younger end of the voter spectrum, a 25-year-old man, who didn't want to be named, shared similar views. He said: "It's important to make yourself heard, and ensure politicians understand our feelings."

Polls are open until 10pm this evening, with counts in Test Valley to begin tomorrow. Results are expected to come in from the afternoon onwards, with counts continuing until they are complete. The one exception is the vote for police and crime commissioner; the results of which will be announced on Monday.