Deadline looms for registering to vote in local elections

The deadline for registering to vote is April 17th. Credit: PA

Voters across the region are being urged to check they are registered to vote.

The deadline for registering is April 17 and can be done online or by post.

Elections are taking place in some parts of England on Thursday 3 May 2018.

To vote in local elections in England you must be registered to vote and over 18. You must also be:

  • a British citizen living in the UK

  • a qualifying Commonwealth citizen living in the UK

  • a citizen of the Republic of Ireland living in the UK

  • a European Union citizen living in the UK

  • someone registered to vote as a Crown Servant

  • someone registered to vote as a service voter

How do I vote?

There are three ways you can vote on May 3.

You can vote at a polling station, where you will be posted a poll card before the election. On the card, you'll be told where your nearest polling station is. You can then vote in person on the day. Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.

Another option is to vote by post. If you want to do this, you will need to contact your local electoral services team who will send you a form. You'll then fill out the postal vote application form and send it back. You will receive a ballot paper in the post in the lead-up to the election. The deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on 18 April 2018.

The final potential choice is to vote by proxy. This requires you to choose someone else to vote for you. You'll then need to fill in a new form to choose who will vote for you. Your chosen person can either visit a polling station or apply for a postal vote. The deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm, Wednesday 25 April 2018.