On Thursday 2 May people in North East Lincolnshire will have their say at local elections on who represents them locally, along with voting for the Police and Crime Commissioner. Residents must be on the electoral register to be able to vote in May.
With the registration deadline approaching, North East Lincolnshire Council is urging those who are not registered at their current address to make sure they are registered before it is too late.
British citizens living abroad are also eligible to register to vote in UK general elections, regardless of how long they’ve been living outside the UK. A new law has removed the previous 15-year time limit. Applicants will need to provide details of the address and time they were last registered or resident. North East Lincolnshire Council must be able to verify an applicant’s identity and past connection to the area.
More information is available on the Electoral Commission’s website- external site , along with a post code lookup tool- external site that helps voters living overseas find the contact details for their local authority, using the postcode of the last place they lived in the UK. Many voters living abroad choose to vote by post or proxy. Applications for absent votes can now also be done online.
The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday 16 April. It takes just five minutes to apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
This year residents in North East Lincolnshire will be voting to select:
- Councillors in 12 of our 15 Wards, who represent their local area and residents, and will help shape the future of their local area by making plans and taking decisions (there are no elections in Waltham, West Marsh or Wolds this year).
- Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for holding the police to account and for policing as a whole in our area
Rob Walsh, Returning Officer for North East Lincolnshire Council, said:
“Local elections are an important opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in North East Lincolnshire. If you have recently turned 18 or moved home, it is particularly important to make sure you are correctly registered to vote. If you’re in doubt, you can check with us by contacting us on 01472 324160 or by emailing elections@nelincs.gov.uk.”
Those intending to vote at polling stations in May will need to show photographic ID. A list of accepted forms of ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website- external site . Those that do not have eligible ID can apply for a voter authority certificate – which can be done online- external site .
Jackie Killeen, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance at the Electoral Commission, said:
“If you’re not registered by 16 April, you will not be able to vote this May. Registering to vote only takes five minutes and can be done online.
“Voters should also remember that they will need to bring photo ID to the polling station to be able to vote. Anyone that does not have an accepted form of ID can apply for Voter Authority Certificate.”
Article and image from NELC.
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