Residents of Horsham District are being reminded to register to vote in the run up to the West Sussex County Council and Horsham Parish Council elections on Thursday 7 May. There will also be a Horsham District by-election in the Itchingfield, Slinfold and Warnham ward.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 20 April. Voters can apply online.
It takes just five minutes. Please note you will need your National Insurance Number. You must re-register every time you move address. Once registered, voters have a range of options – they can vote in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote on their behalf, known as a proxy vote.
Voters going to a polling station will need to show photo ID. To find out which ID you can use in the polling station, visit the Electoral Commission website. Most people already have valid photo ID and won’t need to take any action. If you do not have one of the accepted types of ID, you can apply for free ID via the government website or by completing and submitting a paper form to your local authority.
Electors who are unable to vote in person at the polling station can apply for a postal vote or appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf.
You can apply online for a postal vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote for both elections is 5pm on 21 April.
You can apply online for a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote for both elections is 5pm on 28 April.
Alternatively, email us your name and address and state that you wish to vote this way and we will send you an application form. You can learn more about postal and proxy voting, and/or apply for a postal or proxy application online.
The law around handing in postal votes has changed and this means that anyone visiting Horsham District Council offices or a polling station in person to hand in a postal vote will need to sign a declaration form. As a result of this, people are asked not to post votes through the Council's letterbox, because the law states that they cannot be accepted.
Instead, voters will need to bring them into the Council's reception desk where they will be asked to sign a form to confirm that the vote has been received. However, if someone posts their form to the Council by Royal Mail, a signed declaration form is not required.
Deputy Returning Officer for the Horsham district divisions of West Sussex County Council and Returning Officer for Horsham Parish Council, and Horsham District Council elections, Jane Eaton commented: "Don’t lose your chance to vote at the local elections in May. Local elections are an important opportunity to have your say on who represents you and makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life.
It’s important that people check they’re ready to vote ahead of the elections. All voters must be registered, and some may need to apply for a postal or proxy vote.
“If you’ve changed address or moved home since you last registered, you will have to register again.“
Election results will be posted at the Horsham District Council offices and will be available online via the West Sussex County Council website and the Horsham District Council website, as they are declared on Friday 8 May.
For further information, please visit the Council website.