Elections on Thursday 2 May: make sure you are registered to vote and have photo ID
Residents in the St Albans District have only days left to register to vote in important local elections.
They should also check if they have valid photo ID as this will have to be shown at polling stations.
Everyone aged 18 and above who is not registered at their current address should do so by midnight on Tuesday 16 April.
They will then be able to take part in elections for the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner and St Albans City and District Council (SADC) on Thursday 2 May.
It takes only a few minutes to register at your current address by going online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
People who were eligible to vote in last year’s elections and whose details have not changed will still be registered. They can check by emailing elections@stalbans.gov.uk or by calling the Council’s registration office on 01727 819294.
Voters are required to present an approved form of photo ID in order to vote at a polling station. This includes a current or expired UK passport or driver’s licence as long as the photograph is a true likeness of the voter.
Anyone who does not have one of the accepted types of ID can apply for free ID online.
Details of approved photo ID and how to apply for free ID, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, are available on poll cards and the Electoral Commission’s website www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id.
The deadline for applying for the Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April.
SADC has important responsibilities for a wide range of public services including social housing, recycling, planning, parks, car parking and leisure centres.
Jo Bateman, SADC’s Electoral Services Manager, said:
We are asking our residents to spend a few minutes checking whether they can vote at this May’s elections.
First of all, they should make sure they registered by the deadline. We would particularly advise people who have recently turned 18 or changed their home address to do this.
Everyone voting at a polling station must show approved photo ID. They should check if they can provide this and, if not, they should apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.
All of these checks and applications only take five minutes or so and it can all be done online.
These elections will allow residents to have a say on who represents them on vital issues that affect their day-to-day life, so it is important that our residents secure their vote.
Anyone who has difficulty registering online can obtain a paper copy of the registration form. This can be requested by email to elections@stalbans.gov.uk or by phone on the number above.
Postal and Proxy Votes
Residents who are unable to get to a polling station on Thursday 2 May can apply to vote by post or proxy.
The deadline for applying to vote by post is 5pm on Wednesday 17 April and to vote by proxy is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April. In certain circumstances, an emergency proxy vote can be applied for up until 5pm on the day of the elections.
Most types of postal and proxy vote can be applied for online (www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote / www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote). Forms to apply to vote by post or proxy are also available from the Council’s Electoral Services Team or at the Electoral Commission’s website, www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/ways-vote.
Election Information
Voting for the Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner will take place throughout the county.
SADC has 56 Councillors who serve staggered four-year terms with around a third of the seats coming up for election in three out of each four-year cycle.
This year, District Council elections are taking place for 21 seats in 18 of the 20 District wards.
This includes two seats in each of the London Colney, Sandridge & Wheathampstead, and Batchwood wards due to three by-elections being held.
There are no District Council elections taking place in Colney Heath and Redbourn.
The full list of candidates for the elections will be published after 4pm on Friday 5 April.
To find more information about the elections, go to: www.stalbans.gov.uk/voting-and-elections.
Media Contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.