Hertfordshire County Council elections are taking place on Thursday 1 May. There are ten county divisions in St Albans City & District, and all county councillor seats are up for election.
Poll cards will be sent in late-March and voters are asked to check to see which polling station they should attend as there have been some changes since last year.
Do I need to register?
People who were registered to vote in last year’s elections and whose details have not changed will still be registered. You can check by emailing elections@stalbans.gov.uk or by calling Electoral Services on 01727 819294.
If you are not already registered, a registration form is available to complete at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The deadline for registering to vote at the 1 May elections is Friday 11 April.
Voter ID
Voters are required to present an approved type of photo ID to vote at a polling station. This includes a current or expired UK passport or driver’s licence, as long as the photograph looks like the voter.
Details of approved photo ID and information about how to apply for free voter ID (known as a Voter Authority Certificate) are available on the Electoral Commission’s website: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id. Alternatively, call the Electoral Commission’s helpline on 0800 328 0280. The deadline for applying for the Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Wednesday 23 April.
Voting by post or by proxy
Residents who are unable to get to their polling station on Thursday 1 May can apply to vote by post or proxy. The deadline for applying to vote by post (and for amending an existing postal or proxy vote) is 5pm on Monday 14 April, and to vote by proxy is 5pm on Wednesday 23 April. Most types of postal and proxy vote can be applied for online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote or www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote.
Postal voters will be sent their postal voting packs a couple of weeks before the election. Post your pack back as soon as possible; it must reach St Albans City & District Council by 10pm on 1 May. The rules have changed around returning postal votes by any method other than via Royal Mail (for example, handing it in at a polling station). Please refer to your postal vote poll card for further information.
Further information
For further information, visit www.stalbans.gov.uk/voting-and-elections.