MANY town and parishes will not need to go to the polls on May 2 – with not enough candidates putting themselves forward to cause an election.

In 20 parishes there has been no nominations at all.

For Athelhampton and Puddletown only four have put themselves forward for the nine seats; at Beaminster only eight for 11 seats; in Bere Regis 10 for 11 seats.

The picture is repeated in other wards in Blandford, Corfe Mullen, Corfe Castle, Crossways, Lyme Regis and many of the smaller parish councils.

Weymouth will see elections in each of its wards -  with some wards having more than double the number of candidates for available seats.

In Dorchester the four-seat North Ward will not see an election with four Liberal Democrats being return un-opposed and three Lib Dems being elected un-opposed in the Dorchester South Ward.

The town’s other two wards will see a contest taking place.

In Bridport each of the wards will be going to the polls the central ward attracting nine candidates for five places.

Charminster will see an election in the south ward but not the north where only three names were put forward for five seats.

Chickerell had insufficient candidates to have an election in either ward, a similar situation to Colehill where both wards failed to attract enough candidates for an election.

Ferndown will have no election in the Ameysford and Central North wards where three put their names forward for three places with two candidates for two places in Ferndown Links South and one candidate for the one seat in Stapehill ward, although the Central ward, Ferndown Links and Hampreston and Longham wards will see an election with five contesting three places in each.

In Gillingham only the north ward will see an election with one more candidate than the six places, the other wards each having fewer candidates, or the matching number.

Portland will have elections in all of its wards.

Shaftesbury will see an election in the east ward with ten contesting seven seats but no election in the west ward where seven put themselves forward for seven seats.

Sherborne will only have a contest in the east ward with one more candidate than the six place, the west ward matching candidates with vacancies.

The two wards in Swanage are among the most hotly contested in the county with 12 candidates for six places in the north ward and thirteen for six in the south ward.

None of the Verwood wards attracted enough candidates to cause an election.

In Wareham seventeen candidates are contesting the 16 town council ward seats.

Wards where there have been no candidates at all are – Alton Pancras, Batcombe, Castleton, Chettle, Gillingham Rural, Godmanstone, Gussage All Saints, Hermitage, Hilfield, Hinton, Iwerne Stepleton, Stockwood, Tarrant Rushton, Tincleton, Toller Fratrum, Up Cerne, West Compton, West Orchard, West Stafford, Woodsford and Wynford Eagle.