 Make sure you're election ready to have your say
With time ticking down until local elections on Thursday, 4 May, North Devon residents wanting to vote are being urged to make sure they’re election ready.
Local elections are an important opportunity to have your say on who represents you and makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life in North Devon.
To be able to have your say, you must be registered to vote. You normally only need to register once - not for every election. However, you will need to register again if you’ve changed your name, address or nationality.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on 17 April. Voters can quickly and easily register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Voters have a range of options for casting their vote on the day, including voting 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 Tuesday, 18 April.
The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is a week later, 5pm on Tuesday, 25 April.
Voter ID requirement
This May, for the first time, voters will need to show photo ID if they intend to vote at a polling station. This is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act. The types of accepted ID include:
- a passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state, or a Commonwealth country
- a driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state
- a biometric immigration document
- an identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
- a Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
- a Blue Badge
- a national identity card issued by an EEA state
- an Older Person’s Bus Pass
- a Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
- an Oyster 60+ Card
- a Freedom Pass
If you do not have one of the accepted types of ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate ID online or by completing and submitting a paper form to us.
You must apply by 5pm on Tuesday, 25 April to be able to use the certificate on 4 May.
You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate online on the Government website at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
Voters in North Devon who do not have ID, wish to vote in person and apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, but are unable to do so, are able to attend Lynton House between 9am and 1pm on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for this to be facilitated.
Information about the new requirement and all voting options can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website. Alternatively people can contact their respective electoral services team at www.northdevon.gov.uk/elections
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