WITH less than a week to go until the voter registration deadline for local elections on 2 May, anyone wanting to vote must make sure they are election ready.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on 16 April. Voters can apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. It takes just five minutes.
Voters have a range of options – they can vote in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 17 April. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is a week later, 5pm on 24 April.
This May, voters will need to show photo ID to vote at a polling station. This is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act. To find out which ID you can use in the polling station, visit the Electoral Commission website.
If you do not have one of the accepted types of ID, you can apply for free ID online or by completing and submitting a paper form to your local authority. You must apply by 5pm on 24 April, to be able to use the Voter Authority Certificate on 2 May.
Voters in Cumbria will be going to the polls in May to elect a new Cumbria Police Fire and Crime Commissioner (PFCC). All the local town and parish council elections in the Cumberland area due to be held on 2 May are uncontested. There are some local elections being held on this date in the Westmorland and Furness area.
Andrew Seekings, Electoral Registration Officer for Cumberland Council and the Police Area Returning Officer for Cumbria, said:
“Don’t lose your chance to have your say at elections in May. These elections are an important opportunity to have your say on who represents you and makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life. If you’re in doubt about whether you need to register to vote, or have questions about how to apply for a postal or proxy vote, or free ID, you can contact your local elections team at either Cumberland Council or Westmorland and Furness Council.”
Craig Westwood, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, said:
“It is important that people check they’re election ready ahead of upcoming deadlines. All voters must be registered, and some may need to apply for a postal or proxy vote or free ID.
“Voters will need to show photo ID at polling stations this May. Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of photo ID can apply for free ID online or by completing a paper form and submitting it to their local council.”
Information about the new requirement and all your voting options can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website.
More information can be found on the Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council websites. Anyone wishing to contact the Cumberland Council elections team should ring 0300 373 3730. Residents wishing to speak to someone at the Westmorland and Furness elections team should ring 0300 373 3300.
