Somerset voters are being asked to have their say on polling districts and polling places, with Somerset Council opening a public consultation on Wednesday, 23 July. Residents entitled to vote have until 3 September to respond through the council's consultation page.

The review covers where people go to vote at Parliamentary elections, which may sound dry until it is your polling station, your access needs, or your long walk in bad weather. By law, all local authorities must review every polling district and polling place used for Parliamentary elections.

The consultation is open to every elector in the Somerset Council administrative area or in the Parliamentary constituencies of Bridgwater, Frome and East Somerset, Glastonbury and Somerton, Taunton and Wellington, Tiverton and Minehead, Wells and Mendip Hills, and Yeovil. Somerset Council said printed copies of the consultation will also be available from Somerset libraries.

A polling district is the geographical area used for election purposes, with electors in the same district normally directed to the same polling place. The polling place should be within the boundary of that area where possible.

A polling place is the building or area where the polling station is based and where voting takes place. There can be more than one polling station inside the same polling place, depending on how many voters need to use it.

The review aims to make sure voters have reasonable and practical facilities for voting. It also aims to ensure, as far as is reasonable and practicable, that polling places are accessible to all electors and meet the needs of people with disabilities.

Somerset Council said feedback is particularly welcome from people with disabilities. Anyone making a representation is asked, where possible, to suggest alternative places that could be considered for use as a polling station.

Voters who need to check which Parliamentary constituency their polling station is in can find this in the Polling District and Polling Places Proposals within the consultation. For anyone who only thinks about polling stations when the pencil is already tied to the booth, this is the moment to speak up.

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Polling stations: not glamorous, but very handy when democracy comes calling. Somerset voters are being asked to say whether their local polling place works — so now is the time to mention the awkward steps, long trek, or inconvenient venue.