On Thursday 4 May, residents will go to the polls to have their say on who represents them at a local level.
In the Borough of Havant there will be elections to elect councillors in 10 wards, as well as an election of a County Councillor for Purbrook and Stakes South Division for Hampshire County Council.
Here is a rundown of things you need to know before polling day:
It only takes a few minutes to register to vote
In order to vote in these elections, residents must be on the electoral register.
If you have recently turned 18 or have moved home, it is particularly important you check that you are registered to vote.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 17 April. It takes just five minutes to apply online, or you can contact the Elections Team at elections.office@havant.gov.uk or 023 9244 6225 to request an application form.
Poll cards
Your poll card will be sent to the address where you are registered. It will say where your polling station is. You can only vote at the polling station that is stated on your own poll card. Poll cards went out to all registered electors on Friday 24 March and a further batch will be going out just after Easter for anyone who recently registered to vote. You do NOT need to take your poll card to the polling station in order to vote.
Voter photo ID
These will be the first elections where you will be required to show photographic identification to vote at a polling station.
Valid forms of voter ID include a passport, driver’s licence and some concessionary travel passes. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo. Photo ID shown MUST be an original document – copies or images on mobile phones will not be accepted.
The deadline to apply for a certificate is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
Voters will not be required to provide photo ID if they vote by post.
Postal and proxy voting
If you are unable to get to your polling station on Polling Day, you can apply for a postal vote or proxy vote (voting by proxy means you give permission for someone else to vote on your behalf).
To ensure your postal or proxy voting application is completed in time for the May elections, you must fill in an application form and return it to the Elections Team by no later than:
- 5pm, Tuesday 18 April – Postal votes
- 5pm, Tuesday 25 April – Proxy votes
► Find out how to apply to vote by post or to apply apply for a proxy vote
You will know if you have selected to vote by post, as you will receive a pink poll card. You can either use the envelope provided to return your vote by post, or you can take your postal vote to your polling station on polling day.
List of nominated candidates
Borough council elections
Ten wards are being contested in the borough council elections.
► See the list of nominated candidates for the Havant Borough Council elections
County council election
The following division of Hampshire County Council is being contested and will have voting on 4 May.
- Purbrook and Stakes South
► See the list of nominated candidates for the contested election
Residents who are eligible to vote in the county council election will receive a separate poll card for the borough and county council elections.
Where to vote
This information will be printed on your poll card.
► See the list of all polling stations
You can find more information on our Elections webpages.
Support for voters with disabilities
The Electoral Commission has issued two guides to support voters:
► Voter ID: supporting blind and partially sighted people to vote
► Voter ID: easy read guide for people with learning disabilities
The guides can also be used by supporters of people with a learning disability or sight loss to help the person they support to take part and vote in the elections.