Register to vote today, ready for the May elections
On Thursday 4 May people in Herefordshire will have their say at local elections on who represents them locally. Local elections are an important opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life.
Residents must be on the electoral register to be able to vote. With the registration deadline approaching for the May elections, Herefordshire Council is urging those who are not registered at their current address to make sure they are registered before it is too late.
It takes just five minutes to apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 17 April.
This May residents in Herefordshire will be voting to select:
- councillors, who represent their local area and residents, and will help shape the future of their local area by making plans and taking decisions
- parish councillors, who make decisions on local issues affecting their parish and act as ambassadors for their community, keeping everyone aware of local needs and concerns
For the first time, voters will need to show photo ID to vote at a polling station. This is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act. Voters who do not produce a Voter Authority Certificate, or a form of acceptable photo ID will not be allowed to vote on the day.
To find out which ID you can use in the polling station, visit the Electoral Commission website.
No suitable photo ID?
If you don't already have an accepted form of photo ID, or you're not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. See the Gov.uk website at: www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
If you need any help with applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or want to request a paper application form, email canvass@herefordshire.gov.uk
Further information can be found on the Herefordshire Council website at www.herefordshire.gov.uk/elections-1/forthcoming-elections-referendums/8
Additional notes
- You can choose to vote 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, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 25 April.
- The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station, is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act which was passed last year. Voters must bring an acceptable form of photo ID to their polling station. Some of the most commonly used ID include:
- Passport – must be issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
- Photo driver's licence (including provisional) – must be issued by the UK, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state
- European Economic Area (EEA) photographic ID Card
- UK Biometric Residence Permit
- An identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (PASS card)
- Defence identity card (Ministry of Defence Form 90)
- Blue Badge
- Oyster 60+ Card
- A concessionary travel pass funded by HM Government or local authority. For example, Herefordshire Council Bus Pass, Disabled Person's Bus Pass
If you have a form of acceptable photo ID but it is out of date, you can still use it to vote at a polling station if it still looks like you. You will only need to show ONE form of photo ID, but it has to look like you and be the original version and not a photocopy.
See the full list of acceptable ID on the Electoral Commission website
To apply for the free ID, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, voters will need to provide a photo, full name, date of birth, the address at which they are registered to vote and their National Insurance number.