1 week Ago
Voters have just one day left to register for local elections in England, the Electoral Commission has warned. The deadline to register is 11.59pm today, ahead of the elections on May 1.
Registering takes five minutes and can be done online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. Voters will need their name, address, and National Insurance number.
Read more: How might the council's 'Heart of Swindon' vision work? Those eligible to register include British citizens living in the UK, as well as Irish, qualifying EU, or Commonwealth citizens residing in the UK. Since February 17, when the Commission's voter registration campaign began, around 575,000 applications have been made in England. Niki Nixon, Director of Communications, urged potential voters to ensure they are ready to vote ahead of the upcoming local elections.
She said: "You need to be registered to vote before the deadline at 11.59pm tonight. "If your details have changed or you’ve moved home since registering for the general election last year, you’ll need to update your details.
"It only takes five minutes, and you can do it online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. "You’ll also need to take photo ID with you to the polling station.
"Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of photo ID can apply for free ID online or by requesting a paper form from their local council. "And if you want to vote by post or by appointing a proxy to vote on your behalf, you’ll need to apply before the deadline." Research by the Commission shows that young people, students, and those who have recently moved are less likely to be registered.
Information about the ID requirement and all voting options can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website. Elections will take place in 11 local authorities and 14 county councils, with four combined authority mayoral elections and two local authority mayoral elections. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on April 14, while the deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on April 23.
The same deadline applies to applications for the Voter Authority Certificate. Read more: Swindon council make decision on Salthrop House yoga studio From May 1, HM Armed Forces Veteran Cards can also be used as voter ID. For those without an accepted form of photo ID, free voter ID is available.
Applications can be submitted online or by completing a paper form and sending this to the local council’s electoral services team. Further information on the elections and a postcode look-up tool to help voters find their polling station is available on the Electoral Commission website. The Electoral Commission is an independent body that oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK.
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