Top tips to help you vote this week

There are elections this week (7 May) in all wards in North East Lincolnshire, with one seat up for election on the council in each ward.

You can view the list of candidates on the Council’s website, www.nelincs.gov.uk/elections, along with lots of useful information.

Here’s some top tips to help you vote.

1. If you’ve had a postal vote but haven’t returned it and still want to vote, don’t worry. You can hand it in at the Municipal Offices before 5pm on 7 May. Or you can take it to a polling station on 7 May between 7am and 10pm. For both of these, you’ll need to fill out a bit of paperwork, but it means your vote will be counted. Please do not put it in the Municipal Offices post box – your vote will not be counted if you do this.
2. Voting in person? Don’t forget to take your ID. Typically, this could be your driving license or your passport, but there’s a full list of ID you can use on the Electoral Commission website: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id
3. Not sure who to vote for? Your vote is yours alone. Candidates typically will have sent information out, been present in local areas, or published information on local social media platforms that shows you what they are standing for. No-one should try to tell you how to vote – and that includes family and friends. Take your time and think about who you want to represent you. You can find the full list of candidates on the Council’s website. Visit www.nelincs.gov.uk/elections and follow the link to the Local Elections 7 May 2026.
4. Not sure how you vote in polling stations? If you’re voting for the first time, it may be a little worrying to go to a polling station, but the staff there can guide you through the process. There’s also a really handy video on our website: www.nelincs.gov.uk/elections – just visit the “How to vote” page.
5. I’m poorly and still want to vote, what can I do? You may be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5pm on voting day. There are specific reasons you can use this, for example, if things happen unexpectedly, such as a medical emergency. Check out the website if you need to use this to see if you’re eligible.

That’s it – our top tips to make voting on Thursday easy. Most of all, have your say – local issues matter to local people.