ON Thursday 4 May 2023 people in the new Cumberland Council area will have their say at local town and parish elections on who represents them locally.
Residents must be on the electoral register to be able to vote in May. With the registration deadline approaching, people who are not registered at their current address are urged to make sure they are registered before it is too late.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 17 April. It takes just five minutes to apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
From 1 April 2023, Cumberland Council will be taking over the management of the elections from Allerdale Borough Council, Carlisle City Council and Copeland Borough Council as part of the changes to local government in Cumbria. Before this date, all enquiries should be directed to the relevant local authority.
The call to ensure you are registered to vote, comes in the week that the Notice of Election documents have been published. Anyone who wishes to stand for election can now start to submit their application. The deadline for completed nomination papers is 4pm on Tuesday 4 April 2023. Details of the nomination process can be found on the Allerdale, Carlisle and Copeland council websites.
This year residents will be voting to select parish councillors, who make decisions on local issues affecting their parish and act as ambassadors for their community, keeping everyone aware of local needs and concerns.
Andrew Seekings, the designated Electoral Registration Officer for Cumberland Council, said:
“Local elections are an important opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life. If you have recently turned 18 or moved home, it is particularly important to make sure you are correctly registered to vote. If you’re in doubt, you can check by contacting your local council.”
Those intending to vote at polling stations in May will need to show photographic ID. A list of accepted forms of ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id . Those that do not have eligible ID can apply at voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk/ .
Ailsa Irvine, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance at the Electoral Commission, said:
“If you’re not registered by 17 April, you will not be able to vote this May. Registering to vote only takes five minutes and can be done online.
“This year voters should also remember that they will need to bring photo ID to the polling station to be able to vote. Anyone that does not have an accepted form of ID can apply for free voter ID by 25 April.”
-
Anyone wishing to stand for election should contact their current local council – Allerdale, Carlisle or Copeland – depending the area in which they wish to stand.
-
People can choose to 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 18 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 25 April.
-
The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station, is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act which was passed last year.
-
To apply for the free ID, known as a 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.
-
More information can be found at the following websites:
-
Allerdale Borough Council: www.allerdale.gov.uk/en/elections/town-and-parish-elections-may-2023/ ;
-
Carlisle City Council: www.carlisle.gov.uk/Council/Voting-and-Elections/Upcoming-Elections ;
-
Copeland Borough Council: www.copeland.gov.uk/parish-council-elections-2023
-