As people across the borough gear up to head to the polling stations tomorrow, here is a run down of everything you need to know about candidates in the borough.

There are seven seats up for grabs in Swale, with two for Sheppey, and one each for Sittingbourne North and South, Swale East and West, and Faversham.

People will also be able to vote on a by-election for the Sheerness seat which was left vacant after the sudden death of Labour's Mark Ellen.

Polling will commence on May 6 in what is being dubbed "Super Thursday".

Swale West

Tipped as "one to watch" this match up will see two Mikes battle out for a seat on the county council.

Swale West takes in the western edge of Sittingbourne, Iwade, Bobbing, Keycol, Danaway, Oad Street, Newington, Lower Halstow, Upchurch and Hartlip.

Labour, the Lib Dems and the Greens have bowed out, turning the fight into a two-man battle between Tory Mike Whiting and Swale Independents’ Mike Baldock.

Both men live in Sittingbourne and are passionate about housing. Whiting favours a ‘garden village’ concept of 10,000 homes which developers say will free up cash to build a new junction off the M2 and backs the principle of 'garden villages in the appropriate places' while Baldock prefers a more piecemeal approach and, as Swale council’s deputy leader and planning spokesman, backs more building near Faversham.

Swale East

Born and raised in the borough, as well as living in the Medway Towns for some time, Green Party candidate Rich Lehmann now lives on the edge of Faversham.

The wedding photographer has vowed to fight for more funding in schools, free school meals for families on Universal Credit, better pay for social workers and greater mental health support.

He also wants to see a faster roll out of highspeed broadband in the villages - Boughton-under-Blean, Teynham, Bapchild, Rodmersham, Doddington, Newnham, Eastling, Oare, Selling and Stalisfield - as well as pushing for more bus routes and a mobile library.

He says he will push the council and hold them to account on climate and the environment.

Tory hopeful Charlotte Whitney-Brown says during her campaign she's received many questions I’ve received have been on housing development, repairing our village roads, speeding and road safety in our villages, broadband and transport.

She says she will be a "strong local voice and opposed to" any excessive house building or developments.

Speaking about what she'll do if voted in, the Boughton-under-Blean resident and Boughton parish councillor said: "Protecting our environment is so important. I will fight for better broadband, put pressure on to make sure our rural roads are repaired properly and I will campaign for safer roads."

Labour's candidate for the ward is Dr Frances Rehal.

Sittingbourne North

Milton Regis ward councillor Steve Davey (Labour) has thrown his hat into the ring for the county council position.

He is the chair of the Sittingbourne Area Committee and is concerned about the issue of homelessness in Sittingbourne town centre.

Cllr Davey wants KCC to improve its highways services, its care of vulnerable and elderly people and the provision of school places for secondary pupils.

Lib Dem candidate Rongfang Zeng, known as Mary, has lived in Milton Regis for 17 years after being born in China.

She studied in the United State before moving to England where she became a sales representative.

Mary is heavily involved with her local church and enjoys visiting country gardens, parks and villages around the county.

She wants to see more investment in the creation of jobs, the environment and air quality in Sittingbourne.

Swale councillor Mike Dendor says his top priorities would be housing, infrastructure and traffic problems near Kent Science Park.

The Conservative man has been on the council for 6 years but has been involved in the background at the local authority for four decades.

The 73-year-old says he wants to help sort out traffic problems coming from the east of Sittingbourne onto the A249 and M2.

Faversham resident and Green Party candidate Hannah Temple is a trustee of the mental health supporting Abbey Physic Community garden.

She is a lifelong volunteer for initiatives supporting women's rights and the environment and works as a specialist human rights and business consultant.

If elected she vows to protect green spaces, work for better funding for educational and health care services including pay rises for key workers, as well as investment in bike and pedestrian route.

She also wants to see a faster rollout of highspeed broadband and greater mental health support services.

Swale Independents' councillor James Hall says as an independent candidate he doesn't have to answer to party politicians and will only answer to the residents.

Cllr Hall has been involved in the development of a new modern community centre at Great Easthall and working alongside Swale council to reduce anti-social behaviour in his ward.

He said: "I want to continue campaigning for better health facilites, doctors surgeries, restore lost bus services, address the parking problems, challenging housing targets, getting the recycling waste centre re-opened as before with no more charges and no more appointments, and address fly tipping by giving out stiffer fines and installing mobile cctv in hot spots that can interchange after a period from area to area.

Sittingbourne South

Labour candidate Lola Oyewusi is an ordained minister and founder of the Magdalene minstry job board which helps to bring employment and businesses opportunities to those in need.

Lola has worked to tackle loneliness and food poverty in the borough and has help supply food parcels to struggling families in the Sittingbourne during the pandemic.

She says there has been an "unacceptable decline" in care services due to the Conservatives "putting out services to private providers".

Green Party candidate David Walton grew up East Kent and is a retired history and politics teacher.

The sports lover volunteers for Swale litter squad and wants to tackle the "terrible" litter problem in the town.

He says he is passionate about the environment and has campaigned on air pollution from traffic, and wants to promote "nature-friendly farming to give the recovery of nature a helping hand".

Lib Dem candidate Alexander Stennings has lived in the town his whole life and i interested in the environment, housing and wanting to ensure that young people’s voices get heard.

If elected as a county councillor he would want to help promote better mental health services, more affordable housing, as well as to ensure that the climate emergency is put at the heart of decision making.

Alexander believes the Conservative leadership at Kent County Council has failed to take account of the needs of local people, and to help improve the lives of young people across the borough.

KCC councillor John Wright (Conservative) has been on Hartlip parish council since the 90s and was a Swale councillor from 2002 to 2017.

He says he wants to tackle highways issues around the memorial hospital on Highsted Road and Bell Road, as well as find a new local hub for Sittingbourne residents to flock to after Phoenix House closed down.

He said: "Central Sittingbourne doesn't have a community hall for groups to meet, so I'm working on that in trying to get a central community hub.

"It was in the old Local Plan, but the new administration have scrapped it. There's work to be done in terms of where that would be located, but people need a place to meet in community groups."

Cllr Richard Palmer (Swale Independents) is a father, grandfather and has lived in Sittingbourne for 33 years.

He currently sits on Swale council but has served in the Queens Regiments for 11 years and worked in the ambulance service for 12 years.

He said: "After becoming disillusioned with the main parties I became involved with local issues and helped start Swale Independents. I want to see Swale thrive and open-up opportunities for future generations to work and live nearby.

"My promise is to represent the residents of Sittingbourne South and to fight for our community to the best of my abilities."

Sheppey

Current Tory Kent County Councillor Andy Booth is hoping his hard work over the last four years will help him retain his seat.

The 56-year-old Sheppey resident says he's been involved in decision making on £9.7million worth of investment on the Island.

He wants to continue to tackle the issue of deprivation on Sheppey and wants to get vulnerable people access to the internet and computers.

Cllr Booth added the past year has put him in others in a "unique position" due to the fact they weren't able to canvass people, which they usually heavily rely on.

Swale council veteran Angela Harrison is the most experienced member of the local authority having been a county councillor between 2005 and 2009, as well as between 2013 and 2017.

The Labour councillor was shadow cabinet member for health and says there needs to be a "complete overhaul" of care at Kent County Council, including better management of school places on Sheppey.

She said there is "too much power concentrated in the hands of one party on the council", before adding: "I get elected to do things, rather than doing things to get elected."

29-year-old Tory councillor Cameron Beart is also up for election.

The Minster man grew up in Sheerness and went to school on the Island and works in Bobbing near Sittingbourne.

He has been a Swale councillor for six years and part of Queenborough Town Council for three.

He said: "I believe in championing the Island and our residents. I'm fiercely opposed to unsustainable and inappropriate development on Sheppey and if elected I will continue to fight for improved infrastructure we need across the Isle of Sheppey.

Ukip councillor Padmini Nissanga is standing in the Sheppey election for Nigel Farage's new Reform Party.

Cllr Nissanga, who lives at Warden Point, wants people to know she hasn't left her party.

She said: "I keep telling people I have not left the party, it has just changed its name."

Cllr Ben Martin is leader of the Liberal Democrats and looking for a seat on Kent County Council.

He is a former retail and hospitality manager and was the Lib Dem candidate for Sittigbourne and Sheppey in the 2019 general election.

Cllr Martin said: "If elected I would push for improvements to active travel and public transport links across the island. I'd also seek to improve special education needs provision across Kent.

The 34-year-old said he wants to see more support for mental health provisions and would back a move make 20mph speed limits the default limit for residential areas.

Sheerness resident and Green Party candidate Sam Collins wants to protect the environment and NHS as well as provide "greener and affordable transport" and better housing, including social rented and affordable homes.

She said: “I just want to make a difference for my family and community.

"This is my home, my partner was born on the Island and my children will grow up here.

"I look forward to the challenges ahead. The Green Party is the way forward now; the mainstream parties continuously let us down. I am campaigning for social justice and to protect our planet from climate change."

Fellow Green candidate Catherine Whittle has lived on Sheppey her entire life and spent her younger years doing volunteering and youth work.

She has pledged to keep Sheppey's beaches and green spaces clean for wildlife and people, fight to protect frontline public services from budget cuts, respond to the climate emergency "now and not later" and champion mental health and wellbeing.

Lib Dem candidate Linda Brinklow has lived on the Isle of Sheppey for the past 22 years.

Linda has spent her time on Sheppey organising events, supporting the Kent Community Rail Partnership, currently as Chair for the Swale Line, running an over 50ies group, taking over as temporary Parish Clerk for two island councils and currently serves as a Sheerness Town Councillor.

She said: "Public transport on the island is patchy and does not meet the needs of the people.

"For this reason, I have taken the position as Chair of the Transportation and Planning section of the Sheerness Town Council.

"As a group, we are keen to see implemented, a “20 is Plenty Policy”, as enjoyed currently by the people of Faversham."

Elliott Jayes (Swale Independents) is standing for KCC election because he wants the Isle of Sheppey to have an independent choice free from national political party's agendas.

He's lived on the Island his whole life and says there has been a "lack of time, energy and money" invested on Sheppey.

He said: "We need improved youth services, bus service and social care service."

Sheerness by-election

The Conservative hopeful for the by-election is Sheppey twin Oliver Eakin who owns Neptune' Beach Café in Leysdown with brother Harry.

The 23-year-old has lived on the Isle of Sheppey his whole life which he thinks gives him a better understanding of the challenges and worries people face.

He wants to help save the high street and protect jobs, crackdown on fly-tipping and littering and wants to push for improvements in the health service.

Labour candidate Nicola Nelson lives in Sheerness and wants to see improvement in the town. She said she will help support projects being brought forward by the Swale Coalition but wants to pro-actively work towards cleaning up the environment in the town.

The seat was held by Labour Councillor Mark Ellen and Nicola says that she will support the work of Labour within the Coalition.

Green Party candidate Sam Collins, pictured further up in the article, is also running in the Sheerness by-election where she promises to work alongside the council to protect the environment and NHS as well as provide greener, more affordable public transport which serves all rural communities.

She also pledges to help provide better housing for all, including social rented and affordable homes.

Swale Independents candidate for the by-election is Dolley White.

She says she is already "incredibly active" in working in Sheerness as a town councillor and member of the Sheppey Community Development Forum, as well as a governor of two primary schools and one secondary school on the Island.

She said: "I am a strong, positive voice for Sheerness that will be having an open and constant conversation with our community about what it wants for everyone's future and will ensure that the views of Sheerness residents are heard and a positive difference is made in their lives."

Read more: All the latest news from Sittingbourne

Read more: All the latest news from Sheerness