There are fewer than three weeks to go before residents across most of Maidstone go to the polls to elect their new borough council representatives.

Maidstone operates the system of electing one third of its councillors each year - with one year off for the county council elections.

But as many wards return multiple members, it means there will be an election in 19 of the 26 wards.

There are 95 candidates contesting the 19 seats available, with the Conservatives, the Green Party and the Liberal Democrats contesting all the seats, and Labour all but two.

UKIP is fighting in 14 wards and there are also five Independents and two English Democrats.

Quite a few long-established councillors, including several past mayors, have decided not to seek re-election.

They include Daphne Parvin (Con) with 32 years’ service; Richard Ash (Con) with 24 years; Jenni Paterson (Lib Dem) with 21 years, and Richard Thick (Con) with 18 years.

Also not seeking re-election are Ian Chittenden (Lib Dem) with nine years; John Wilson (Con) eight years; James Ross (Con) eight years; Belinda Watson (Lib Dem) four years; and Malcolm McKay, the leader of the Labour party, with four years.

Currently the Conservatives hold 25 of the 55 seats on the council, with Lib Dems on 20, Independents on six, UKIP on two and Labour on two.

Of the 19 seats up for election, nine are currently held by the Conservatives, six by the Lib Dems, three by Independents and one by Labour.

Polling is on Thursday, May 5.

The candidates:

ALLINGTON WARD

Barry Ginley (Con)

Diana Lewins (Lib Dem)

Mo McDonald-Roberston (UKIP)

Marianna Poliszczuk (Lab)

Guy Tanner (Green)

BARMING WARD

Patrick Coates (Lab)

Fay Gooch (Ind)

Lizzie Hare (Lib Dem)

Benjamin Knowles (Green)

Samuel Lain-Rose (Con)

BEARSTED WARD

Jim Grogan (Lab)

Ciaran Oliver (Green)

Robert Pettit (UKIP)

Mike Revell (Con)

Geoffrey Samme (Lib Dem)

Denis Spooner (Ind)

BOUGHTON MONCHELSEA AND CHART SUTTON WARD

Jean Harvey (Lab)

Caroline Jessel (Green)

Mark McGiffin (UKIP)

Stephen Munford (Ind)

Cheryl Taylor Maggio (Con)

Jan Webb (Lib Dem)

BOXLEY WARD

Wendy Hinder (Con)

Hannah Patton (Green)

Michael Thompson (Lib Dem)

Jacqui Wardle (UKIP)

BRIDGE WARD

Alan Bartlett (Con)

Donna Greenan (Green)

Georgia Harvey (Lib Dem)

Bruce Heald (Lab)

COXHEATH AND HUNTON WARD

Kenneth Baker (Lab)

Ron Leagas (Con)

Emily Fermor (Lib Dem)

Mike Summersgill (Green)

Keith Woollven (UKIP)

EAST WARD

Richard Coates (Lab)

Martin Cox (Lib Dem)

Benjamin Darlington (Green)

Gareth Kendall (UKIP)

Steven Sheppard (Con)

FANT WARD

Keith Adkinson ((Lab)

Rosaline Janko (Lib Dem)

Ian McDonald (Green)

Stephen Paine (Con)

Colin Taylor (UKIP)

HEADCORN WARD

Sarah Barwick (Lab)

Georgia Dallas (Lib Dem)

Derek Eagle (Green)

Nick Goddard (UKIP)

Shellina Prendergast (Con)

HEATH WARD

Alan Chell (Con)

Stella Martyn (Lab)

Bryan Vizzard (Lib Dem)

Geoffrey Wilkinson (Green)

HIGH STREET WARD

Michael George (UKIP)

Denise Joy (Lib Dem)

Joe Mamo (Con)

Gareth Phillips (Green)

Dan Wilkinson (Lab)

MARDEN AND YALDING WARD

Rachel Hill (Lib Dem)

Timothy Licence (Lab)

Steve McLoughlin (Con)

James Shalice (Green)

Pamela Watts (UKIP)

NORTH DOWNS WARD

Patrik Garten (Con)

Barbara Neill (Green)

John Watson (Lib Dem)

NORTH WARD

Maureen Cleator (Lab)

Wendy Eagle (Green)

Charles Elliott (UKIP)

Michelle Hastie (Lib Dem)

Jeff Tree (Con)

PARK WOOD WARD

John Barned (UKIP)

Belinda Bassett (Green)

Matt Burton (Con)

Andrew Cockersole (Lib Dem)

Daniel Moriarty (Ind)

Marsha Todd (Lab)

SHEPWAY SOUTH WARD

Milden Choongo (Lib Dem)

Bob Hinder (Con)

Stuart Jeffery (Green)

Theresa Lyons (Lab)

Eddie Powell (UKIP)

Timothy Raymen (Eng Dem)

SHEPWAY NORTH

Gary Butler (Eng Dem)

Christopher Garland (Con)

Geoff Harvey (Lab)

Dinesh Khadka (Lib Dem)

Stephen Muggeridge (Green)

Mike Wardle (UKIP)

SOUTH WARD

Steven Cheeseman (Green)

Paul Cooper (Con)

Mike Hogg (Ind)

Wendy Hollands (Lab)

Paul Wilby (Lib Dem)