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Residents have only a few days left to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate

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Residents who want to have their say in May’s local elections have only a few days left to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.

Voters are required under new legislation to present an approved form of photo ID to vote at a polling station on Thursday 4 May.

This includes a UK passport or driver’s licence, current or expired; Government-funded bus passes for older or disabled people; and a PASS card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram.

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply online for free ID, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

The deadline for applying for this is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.

Details of how to apply are available on the Electoral Commission’s website here along with further details of approved photo ID.

This May’s elections are for 18 of the 56 seats on St Albans City and District Council as well as for the area’s Parish and Town Councils.

Amanda Foley, Returning Officer for St Albans City and District, said:

The requirement for voters to present photo ID at polling stations is a major change to how our elections are managed. It has been described as the biggest change to in-person voting in 150 years.

The new rule will also apply to General Elections from this October, so it is something we all need to get used to.

I urge people to check the list of approved photo ID to see if they can provide one of the accepted types, making sure the photo is indeed a true likeness of them.

Voters must also remember to bring the ID along to polling stations. If they do not present photo ID, they will not be able to vote.

Anyone who doesn’t have photo ID should apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. The deadline for doing so is fast approaching.

On election day, we will have greeters outside polling stations reminding people to have their photo ID ready and dealing with any related issues.

Voting by post and proxy

Residents who applied to vote by post are urged to look out for their postal voting packs which are now being issued. The deadline for applying for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 18 April.

People who are unable to get to a polling station can still apply to vote by proxy.

The deadline for doing so is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April, although in certain circumstances an emergency proxy vote can be applied for up until 5pm on the day of the elections.

Details of how to apply for a proxy vote are also available on the Electoral Commission’s website.

Further information

Voters will elect a St Albans City and District Councillor in 18 of the 20 District wards with no election taking place in Colney Heath and Marshalswick West. The full list of candidates can be found here.

The Parish and Town Councils holding contested elections are Colney Heath, Harpenden Town, London Colney, Sandridge and St Stephen. A list of candidates can be found here.

Candidates are unopposed in the London Colney North West ward of London Colney Parish Council; the Jersey Farm and Sandridge Village wards of Sandridge Parish Council; and the Bricket Wood and Park Street wards of St Stephen Parish Council.

Candidates for Harpenden Rural, Redbourn, St Michael and Wheathampstead Parish Councils are all unopposed.

A full list of candidates for the uncontested elections are available here.

No one stood for election in the Beech Bottom and Marshalswick West wards of Sandridge Parish Council. Councillors for those wards and other vacant seats are expected to be co-opted by the Parish and Town Councils involved.

To find more information about the elections, go to: https://www.stalbans.gov.uk/elections-thursday-4-may-2023.

Media Contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.