Voters urged to register to have their say in May – important deadlines next week

On Thursday 4 May people in North East Lincolnshire will have their say on who represents them on their local Council.

In order to vote in May, residents must be on the electoral register. With the deadline to register to vote fast approaching, North East Lincolnshire Council is urging people who are not registered at their current address to make sure they are registered in time.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 17 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 elect 15 Councillors, who represent their local area and residents, and contribute to the development of policies in areas such as transport, social care and housing.

People can choose to vote in a number of ways – 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 18 April.
• If you have a proxy vote already in place, but you want to change who you want to vote in your place, the deadline is 5pm on 18 April.
• The deadline to apply for a new proxy vote if you haven’t done this before is 5pm on 25 April.

For information on elections in their area, how to register to vote, or how to apply to vote by post or by proxy, voters can visit www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter.

Anyone who is registered to vote can cast a vote in person by visiting their designated polling station. From this year, voters will need to take photographic ID with them to vote. If you don’t have photographic ID, you can apply for a “Voter Authority Certificate” (VAC). The deadline for application for a VAC is 5pm on 25 April.

A North East Lincolnshire Council spokesperson said: “Time is running out to make sure you can take part in these elections. They are an important opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who represents you on issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in North East Lincs. If you’re not registered by 17 April, you won’t be able to vote.”

Ailsa Irvine, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance at the Electoral Commission, said:

“If you’re not registered by 17 April, you will not be able to vote this May. Registering to vote only takes five minutes and can be done online.

“This year 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 free voter ID by 25 April.”