Voters are urged to be ready to have their say and decide now whether they need to apply for a postal or proxy vote for this year’s elections.The deadline for applying for a postal vote is Tuesday 21 April and to vote by proxy is Tuesday 28 April.Local and general elections will be taking place on Thursday 7 May. Residents who are going to be out of the area on 7 May can apply to vote by post or by proxy. Matt Pitcher, Head of Electoral Services at Bournemouth Council, said: “Now is the time to make sure you are registered to vote and to apply for a postal vote. People might not realise that they can have their say in different ways, including by post or by asking someone you trust to cast your vote for you (a ‘proxy’). So if you are going to be away on Thursday May 7, take a few minutes now to decide how to make sure your voice will still be heard.”
A person can register and vote in elections if they are on the electoral register and are:
- Aged 18 or over on polling day
- A British citizen
- A qualifying Commonwealth citizen
- A citizen of the Irish Republic
- A citizen of another European Union (EU) member state. (Can only vote in Local elections)
