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Voters urged to check they’re election ready before it’s too late

With only a week to go until the voter registration deadline for the Police and Crime Commissioner Election, anyone wanting to vote on 2 May must make sure they are election ready.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on 16 April. If you are not already registered to vote at your current address, apply online now at gov.uk/register-to-vote, it takes just five minutes.

Voters have a range of options – they can 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 17 April. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is a week later, 5pm on 24 April.

Everyone voting at a polling station will need to show photo ID – to find out which ID you can use in the polling station, visit the Electoral Commission website.

If you do not have one of the accepted types of ID, you can apply for free ID at gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate. You must apply by 5pm on 24 April, to be able to use the Voter Authority Certificate on 2 May.

Mark Stone, Electoral Registration Officer for South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse, said: “Don’t lose your chance to have your say on 2 May, when you be able vote for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, the elected representative who will oversee how crime is tackled for the next four years in our area. If you’re not sure whether you are registered to vote, or have questions about how to apply for a postal or proxy vote, or free ID, please get in touch with our elections team as soon as possible.”

Craig Westwood, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, said: “It is important that people check they’re election ready ahead of upcoming deadlines. All voters must be registered, and some may need to apply for a postal or proxy vote or free ID.

“Voters will need to show photo ID at polling stations this May. Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of photo ID can apply for free ID online or by completing a paper form and submitting it to their local council.”

Information about the new requirement and all your voting options can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website.

Notes to editors

The Police and Crime Commissioner Election takes place across Thames Valley on Thursday 2 May.

  • To find out more about this election,
  • The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station, is a requirement, under the UK Government’s Elections Act.
  • The legislation requires voters at polling stations to show an accepted form of photo ID before they receive their ballot paper. The requirement applies to local council elections in England, UK parliamentary elections, including parliamentary by-elections, and police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales. It does not apply at local elections in Scotland or Wales, or elections to the Scottish Parliament or Senedd. The requirement already exists in Northern Ireland.
  • The UK Government’s Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities is responsible for the voter ID policy and for the free voter ID application system. Enquiries relating to the application system or the policy itself should be directed to the Department.
  • The Electoral Commission is responsible for ensuring voters are aware of the voter ID requirement, and for supporting local authorities with the process. Questions related to the public awareness campaign should be directed to the Electoral Commission.
  • Local authorities are responsible for implementing voter ID at the local level.
  • To apply for the 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. The deadline to apply is 5pm on 24 April.
  • Anyone who wants to have their say in the elections this May must also be registered to vote. It only takes five minutes to register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
  • Research shows that young people, students and those who have recently moved are least likely groups to be registered

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