Voters went to the polls yesterday to elect members of the new Dorset Council and also for town and parish councils.

The election is the first time that the 82 seats on the new Dorset Council are being contested and in Weymouth it's the first time for a town council election for the new council's 29 seats spread across 12 wards.

Results of the Dorset Council election are expected this afternoon while results for town and parish councils will be known on Saturday.

Voters in Weymouth expressed their belief that turning out to vote is important.

Regarding people who do not vote, Chris Harris said: “They are wasting their democratic right and not being part of the community.”

Pauline Miller highlighted the low turnout among young people in the past, saying: “It is no good young people complaining if they don’t want to vote.”

Carol Phelps expressed a similar view, saying to non-voters: “There is no good moaning, you have got no right to moan.”

Voters may be called back to the polls again on May 23 if the UK takes part in the European Parliament elections in the event the country has not left the European Union at that point.

Planning is currently underway for this eventuality.

When asked if he would vote if the elections happen, Weymouth resident Doug Milne said: “Yes, but that really is a matter of principle.

“I just believe in voting.

“In 1975 I voted to be in.

“I am a great believer in a trading bloc, but it has gone far beyond that.”

Some voters noted that many people are dissatisfied with the current state of politics in this country.

Wendy Hendy said: “At the moment, people are a bit disillusioned.”

Yesterday’s local elections took place for 248 councils in England, and 11 in Northern Ireland as well as 6 mayoral elections.

Town council elections in Wareham were postponed due to the death of one of the candidates and will be held later.

Counting for the Dorset Council elections will take place today with the results due in the afternoon, while counting for town and parish seats will take place on Saturday.

Dorset Council was created on April 1, after Dorset County Council and the borough and district councils of (East Dorset, North Dorset, Purbeck, West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland) were merged into a unitary authority.

The council set aside £700,000 for the cost of the local elections, and anything left over will go to authority's general reserve fund.

It will hold its first meeting on May 16, while the first meeting of the new Weymouth Town Council will take place on May 14.

For the latest election news and the results visit dorsetecho.co.uk