BOLTON goes to the polls today for the General Election.

Voters in the town’s three constituencies are choosing who will represent them in Parliament over the next five years — and will play a key role in deciding who will form the next government.

Yesterday, the five parties vying for support across Bolton made their final push for votes in the last day of campaigning.

Polling stations across the borough will be open from 7am to 10pm today for residents to cast their votes.

If you are on the electoral register, you will have received a poll card telling you where your local polling station is.

If you have requested a postal vote and not yet returned your ballot pack, you can drop it off at a polling station today.

Once the polls close, the ballot papers will be taken to Bolton Town Hall to be verified and counted before the results are announced.

It is expected that the results for Bolton’s three constituencies — Bolton South East, Bolton North East, and Bolton West — will be announced in the early hours of Friday morning.

Recent election counts have been held at the Bolton Arena in Horwich, but tonight’s will instead take place in three separate rooms — one for each constituency — at the town hall.

The results for Bolton North East and Bolton South East will be declared by the Mayor of Bolton, Cllr Roger Hayes, and for Bolton West by Margaret Asquith, the acting returning officer and Bolton Council’s chief executive.

The Bolton News will be providing live coverage through the night from the count at Bolton Town Hall once polls close at 10pm.

For all the latest news, reaction, and analysis from election night visit theboltonnews.co.uk and see Saturday’s paper.

THERE are five different parties contesting the three Parliamentary seats in Bolton at this General Election.

In the Bolton South East constituency — which covers the wards of Farnworth, Great Lever, Harper Green, Hulton, Kearsley, Little Lever and Darcy Lever, and Rumworth — the candidates are:
Yasmin Qureshi, Labour
Sarah Pochin, Conservatives
Frank Harasiwka, Liberal Democrats
Jeff Armstrong, UKIP
Alan Johnson, Green Party

In Bolton North East, voters in the wards of Astley Bridge, Bradshaw, Breightmet, Bromley Cross, Crompton, Halliwell, and Tonge with the Haulgh have the following five candidates to choose from:
Sir David Crausby, Labour
James Daly, Conservatives
Warren Fox, Liberal Democrats
Harry Lamb, UKIP
Liz Spencer, Green Party

Finally, there are just four candidates battling it out in the marginal constituency of Bolton West — which covers the wards of Heaton and Lostock, Horwich and Blackrod, Horwich North East, Smithills, Westhoughton North and Chew Moor, and Westhoughton South, as well as the Wigan ward of Atherton.
The candidates are: 
Chris Green, Conservatives
Julie Hilling, Labour
Rebecca Forrest, Liberal Democrats
Martin Tighe, UKIP