Northern Ireland politics looked a lot simpler in 2014, even by our own standards. So much – and so little – has changed since the collapse of the Executive in January 2017. On Northern Slant authors have shared plenty of opinions on and proposed solutions to the democratic deficit. Considering our 11 councils are the only democratically elected bodies functioning here, and on Thursday 2nd May all 462 seats across NI are up for election, we should grab the opportunity to shape local decision-making with both hands.

Only 51% of the electorate voted at the last local council elections in 2014. I’m sure a whole lot more than half of us care enough about the delivery of basic leisure and waste management services, initiatives promoting greater inclusivity throughout our communities, arts, employment and skills, community investment and local development plans that should convince us to make a bigger effort this time around.

At Northern Slant we care about the future of this place; anyone who attended our Politics Beyond Politicians event last month will have come away with the proof and belief every one of us has the capability to bring about change. With next month’s elections we finally have a voice – even a duty – to actively participate in the discussions around what’s to come for the places we live, work and play.

If you haven’t voted before, or haven’t voted in a while, it doesn’t have to be a daunting experience – guidance is at hand. Last week the Northern Ireland Local Government Association (NILGA) launched a campaign to show how accessible voting is for everyone who is eligible and to address some barriers surrounding the voting process that might have previously discouraged people from exercising their right. Through informative, short animations, each piece focuses on the real-life experiences of four individuals, why they believe that voting in the council elections is important and what they hope to see as a result of using their vote. The campaign videos can be viewed here.

You can find the full lists the candidates standing in each council area on the Electoral Office website here.