The Local Election, where we vote for councillors to represent our local neighbourhood on the local council has been confirmed as taking place on 2nd May 2024. Elected councillors will get a say on some important things in your community, including transport, recycling/waste, roads, planning, local green spaces and council run facilities. Also taking place on the 2nd May 2024 is the election for the Police and Crime Commissioners for each of the 39 police forces across England and Wales.
We hope that this guide will help you check if you’re registered to vote and register before it’s too late if you aren’t. We also have some information about selecting the best and most efficient method for you to register your vote.
Are you registered to vote?
The system for registering to vote has changed to make the process more secure and modern. In the past, the head of the household told the council the names of all the people living in the property who were eligible to vote. Now, everyone who is eligible to register to vote needs to register themselves.
If you’ve registered to vote previously, you don’t need to register again unless your name or address has changed.
If you’re not registered to vote, you can do so online in under 5 minutes at www.gov.uk/registertovote.
Who can vote in UK Elections?
To vote in UK elections, you must:
- be registered to vote
- be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
- be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
- be resident at an address in the UK or Gibraltar, or living abroad and registered as an overseas voter
- not be legally excluded from voting.
What is the deadline for registering to vote in the Elections?
You can register to vote at any time at www.gov.uk/registertovote
There will be registration deadlines announced when the date for this year’s General Election is confirmed. The cutoff date is usually set for 12 days before election.
The deadlines for the Local Election on the 2nd May are:
- to apply to register to vote is 11.59pm on 16th April.
- to apply to vote by post, postal proxy and for changes to existing postal or proxy votes is 5pm on 17th April.
- to apply for new proxy postal vote applications is 5pm on 24th April
You now need photo ID to vote
In 2023, the Government introduced a new requirement for voters to show photo ID when they vote at polling stations in some elections, including this year’s general election.
You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable. You can use any of the following:
- Passport
- Driving licence (including provisional licence)
- Blue badge
- Certain concessionary travel cards
- Identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
- Biometric Immigration document
- Defence identity card
- Certain national identity cards
The photo on your ID must look like you. You can still use your ID even if it has expired. For more information on which forms of photo ID will be accepted, visit the Electoral Commission website or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.
I have no photo ID, can I still vote?
Yes, you can still vote by applying for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
You can complete the application form online or complete this printable version and send it to the electoral services team at your local council. Or if you prefer, you can apply in person at your local council office.
Visit electoralcommission.org.uk/voter or call the helpline on 0800 328 0280 to find contact details for your local council. They can help you apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, or request an application form on your behalf. You will need to do this by 5pm on 24th April to be able to vote in the Local Election.
How do I find out where my nearest polling station is?
You’ll be sent a poll card before the election which will tell you when and where to vote. You can only vote at the location on your poll card, but you don’t need to bring the poll card with you, and you can still vote if you’ve lost the card. If you haven’t received a poll card, but you think you should have, contact your local Electoral Registration Office.
If you want to attend your local polling station in person, but have reasons why you may be unable to travel, contact the Local MP you wish to vote for, as they may be able to assist you with travel arrangements.
Do I have to go to a polling station to vote?
If you’re not able to make it to the polling station on polling day, or you don’t want to vote in person, there are other ways you can vote.
Vote by Post
You will receive your ballot paper in the post. You need to complete and return your ballot paper, ensuring you leave enough time for it to arrive at your local council by 10pm on Thursday 2 May 2024 for the local election. Or you can hand it to staff at your polling station, or to your local council office, on polling day.
Vote by Proxy
You can nominate another person to vote on your behalf. They’ll need to go to your polling station to vote and show their own photo ID to be able to cast your vote. The deadline to register to vote by proxy for the Local Election is 5pm on 20th April 2024.
For more information or to get a postal or proxy application form, visit www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter or call 0800 328 0280.
Getting support at your polling station
Everyone should be able to vote and have the right to vote independently and in secret. Some assistive equipment will be available at the polling station and staff are there to help if you need it.
If you have a disability or feel that you can’t vote without assistance, you can bring someone over the age of 18 to help you. If you do take a companion, let the staff know when you arrived so that they are allowed to enter the polling booth with you.
Watch this video for more information on getting support at your polling station.
Mencap have provided an Easy Read document to help people with a learning disability and their support workers to understand what voting is, why it is so important and how you can vote. Its aim is to encourage as many people with a learning disability to register to vote and finally vote.
Why is it important to vote?
Whether it’s a local issue, such as social housing waiting lists, local school availability, getting an appointment to see a GP or having your bin emptied regularly; or bigger national issues, such as the cost of living rises, rent increases and interest rate rises, immigration or investment in the NHS; if an issue comes up that you care about and want to have a say on, you must be registered to vote to have a voice when it really matters. Registering to vote means that you are added to the Electoral Register and brings a wide range of other benefits, such as helping with your credit rating.
The Government plays an important role in shaping the future of social housing and matters which directly affect our customers. In the last General Election, just 60% of Social Housing customers used their right to vote.
A lot has happened since the last General Election in 2017. None of us could have predicted a global pandemic claiming so many lives and reminding us of the importance of the NHS, the cost-of-living crisis making life really difficult for so many people, huge increases in energy prices, global events such as war and the effects of climate change leaving so many people displaced and seeking asylum, the sad passing of our Queen, Elizabeth II and four changes in Prime Minister.
We are living in unprecedented times and the world has changed in ways we could never have imagined. The need for an effective UK Government who represents and works for every single person in the UK and who can guide us safely through such difficult times, is more important now than ever before.
How do I decide who to vote for?
Voting should be an individual choice and is your business only. Don’t let anyone else put a cross in your ballot paper. We can't tell you who to vote for, but we can point you in the direction of how to find out what you need to know to make an informed choice about the candidates in your local area. Remember, you don’t vote for party leaders, but for local representatives who are then elected as MPs.
There’s a good chance at least one of the people standing for election in your seat will have been an MP in the past. If you want to find out what they stand for, you can check their voting record in the House of Commons. Civil society group mySociety runs TheyWorkForYou. Enter your post code or MP's name and it will show you how they voted on issues from the welfare system to the European Union.
If you're looking for what each party has planned if it wins the election the best place to look is here: Conservative manifesto, Labour manifesto, Lib Dem manifesto, Green manifesto, Reform manifesto.
For more information you can visit www.whocanivotefor.co.uk/
