People are being urged to ensure they are registered to vote so they don’t miss out on having their say in the local elections on 4th May.
Authorities want people to be aware that if they’re not registered to vote, they can’t vote –and will miss out on a chance of having their say in local issues.
People who aren’t registered to vote will miss out on being able to cast their ballot in the upcoming elections for parish (including towns) and borough or county councils.
Local government elections are the process for for choosing councillors, who are responsible for making decisions on running services in our local area.
These include things like social care, education, housing, transport, planning, parks, leisure, public safety and waste management.
To be able to vote in these important elections, residents must be on the electoral register.
The Electoral Commission is urging people who have not registered at their current address to make sure they do so in good time.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 17th April 2023.
People can apply online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote which takes around five minutes.
If you were registered to vote in the last election and your details have not changed, you will still be registered to vote.
Voter ID
Voters are also being reminded they will need valid ID to cast their ballots in person at polling stations from May.
Therefore, people are being urged to take just a few minutes to check they are registered to vote and that they have valid ID, as required by new central government legislation.
Voter ID is not required for people who vote by postal ballot.
People can check that they have an accepted form of ID via the Electoral Commission website.
Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID will be able to apply for free ID online via the gov.uk website, or can complete a paper form.
The deadline for this is 5pm on Tuesday 25th April 2023.
Postal votes
The deadlines to apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote are also approaching:
● The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 18th April 2023. Completed forms must be received before this deadline.
● The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Tuesday 25th April 2023. Completed forms must be received before this deadline.
Voting in-person
Registering to vote does not mean you have to, it simply means you don’t lose out on the opportunity to vote if you want to.
On election day, Thursday 4th May 2023, polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm.
More information about voting is available at: www.yourvotematters.co.uk
Polling cards will be delivered to all registered electors later this month.
