Voters urged to check they are election ready before it’s too late

With 18 days to go until the voter registration deadline for local elections on 4 May, anyone wanting to vote must make sure they are election ready.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on 17 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 18 April. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is a week later, 5pm on 25 April.

This May, for the first time, 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. Visit their website to find out which ID you can use in the polling station.

If you do not have one of the accepted types of ID, you can apply for free ID on their website or by completing and submitting a paper form to your local authority. You must apply by 5pm on 25 April, to be able to use the Voter Authority Certificate on 4 May.

If you require further information or assistance on Voter ID please contact  electoral services on elections@rochford.gov.uk or call the helpline on tel : 01702 318187

If you are 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 Rochford District Council electoral services team at elections@rochford.gov.uk

Craig Westwood, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, said:

“It is important that people check they are 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.

“At elections in May, for the first time, voters will need to show photo ID at polling stations. 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.

For more information contact the Electoral Commission press office on 020 7271 0704, or press@electoralcommission.org.uk

• People can choose to 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 18 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 25 April.
• The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station, is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act which was passed last year.
• To apply for the Voter Authority Certificate, voters will need to provide a photo, full name, date of birth, the address at which they are registered to vote and their National Insurance number. The deadline to apply is 5pm on 25 April.