North Oxfordshire residents who are not yet registered to vote are reminded that the deadline to register for the May elections is just a few days away.
Published: Monday, 8th April 2024
On Thursday, 2 May, electors will go to the polls to vote for local councillors and the Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for the Thames Valley area. The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, 16 April.
Those already registered to vote at their current address do not need to re-register. But anyone who has moved home since they last registered to vote, changed their name, or recently turned 18 must register to vote before midnight on 16 April.
Gordon Stewart, Returning Officer, said: “Registering to vote only takes five minutes. The council elections are an important opportunity for people to have their say on who is representing them in their communities. To have your say on 2 May, make sure you are registered to vote before midnight on 16 April.”
To vote at a polling station, people must show a photo ID. This includes a passport, a driving licence, specific travel cards, and many other options. People can visit the Electoral Commission website to find out which IDs are accepted.
Voters without one of the accepted types of ID can apply for free ID online or by completing and submitting a paper form to the council. These voters must apply by 5pm on 24 April to use their Voter Authority Certificates on 2 May.
Voters 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 one week later, at 5pm on 24 April.
In addition to the district council and PCC elections, one-third of parish and town councils have elections, and in the parish of Deddington, there is a referendum on a new Neighbourhood Plan.
Electors can now see who is standing in district and contested parish council elections on Cherwell District Council’s website. They can also access a range of helpful information about voting at a polling station, the voter ID requirement and postal and proxy voting.