Are you registered to vote in the European elections?

Monday April 14, signals the start of the official countdown to the vote as the Notice of Election is published. The election will take place on Thursday, May 22.

That means if you have aspirations to stand as a candidate you’ll need to collect and return nomination papers soon, and if you intend to vote you’ll need to make sure you are registered.

The Notice of Election is on East Dunbartonshire Council’s homepage (www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk) and is available from local libraries.

Here’s what you need to know:

Potential candidates need to collect nomination papers from Pendolino Room, City Chambers, High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1YJ and return them with a £5,000 deposit by 4pm on Thursday, April 24, 2014.

Anyone wishing to vote on May 22 needs to be registered to vote by May 6.

It’s easy to check if you are registered and to sort it out if you are not. Check out www.aboutmyvote.co.uk for more details and for an application form if you need one.

East Dunbartonshire’s Chief Executive and Local Returning Officer for the election, Gerry Cornes, said: “People could be missing out on their right to vote without even knowing it.

“We are working with the Electoral Commission to make sure that nothing comes between our residents and their right to vote.

“If you want to have your say on who represents you then you need to be registered and your name needs to appear on the electoral register. If you are not registered then you can’t vote. It’s your vote, don’t lose it.”