Cornwall will head to the polls today, Thursday, to elect six Members of the European Parliament to represent the south west.

Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm and voters are reminded to take their polling cards with them, although votes can still be cast without.

There are eight parties to choose from: An Independent from Europe, the British National Party, the Conservative Party, the English Democrats, the Green Party, the Labour Party, the Liberal Democrats and the UK Independence Party (UKIP).

Cornwall has two candidates standing to represent the south west - Jude Robinson from Pool for the Labour Party and Robert Lee Smith from Penzance for UKIP.

However, in this election a vote is cast for a party rather than an individual candidate.

Each political party has put forward a list of candidates called a “regional list” and electors must vote for one of these lists.

Every party is then allocated a number of MEP seats according to their share of the vote across the south west region - with the party choosing the specific individuals from their list - known as a “proportional representation” system.

Of the current MEPs for the region four are standing for re-election: Sir Graham Watson (Lib Dem), William, Earl of Dartmouth (UKIP) and Ashley Fox and Julie Girling (both Conservative). Glyn Ford, who has previously been a Labour MEP, is also standing.

Although the election will take place today the count will not actually take place until Sunday, in line with the rest of Europe.