All you need to know about elections

If you want to vote in the local elections on Thursday 4 May and you’re not on the electoral register yet you have less than a week to apply.

Also, remember there are big changes coming up for this year's local elections - and some of the most important deadlines are almost upon us.

Here's all you need to know about the elections on Thursday 4 May and what you need to do to make sure you can cast your vote.

  • The deadline to register to vote is 11.59pm on Monday 17 April. If you aren’t registered, you won’t be able to vote. It takes just a couple of minutes to apply online here. 
  • If you want to apply for a postal vote you must do it by 5pm on Tuesday 18 April. You can find out more here, 
  • New rules mean on Thursday 4 May anyone turning up to vote at a polling station will need to show an acceptable form of photo ID before being given their ballot paper
  • Most people will have an acceptable form of ID, like a passport or driving licence. You can find out which types of photo ID are acceptable here. 
  • As long as the photo on the ID looks like you it doesn't need to be in date
  • If you don't have an acceptable form of photo ID you can apply to vote by post, apply to have someone you trust vote on your behalf as a proxy, or apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) which will be valid for 10 years
  • The deadline for applying for a VAC is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April. You can apply here,or you can visit the council offices and a member of the Electoral Services Team will help you.
  • If you want to apply for a proxy vote the deadline for that is also 5pm on Tuesday 25 April. Your appointed proxy must have acceptable ID with them when they vote for you at the polling station. You can learn more about voting by proxy and how to apply here. 
  • People who are already registered to vote should have had their poll cards by now. Please check your cards carefully as your polling station may be different to last time. You can also find out where your polling station is here.

For more information about the Election take place visit our dedicated page here.