Deadline to register to vote

People wanting to have their say in the elections being held on Thursday 4 May have until midnight on Thursday 13 April 2017 to make sure their name is on the list of voters.

Worcestershire County Council elections are taking place across the district as well as four by-elections.  There is one vacant District Council seat in the Mitton ward of Stourport-on-Severn, a vacant seat on Kidderminster Town Council (Foley Park & Hoobrook ward) and two vacancies on Stourport Town Council (Areley Kings West ward and Stour & Wilden ward).

In Churchill & Blakedown a Neighbourhood Plan Referendum is taking place.

Information about all the elections are available on the Council’s website www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/elections. Details about the candidates standing will be available on the website after Tuesday 4 April. Electors are reminded to check their poll card for the location of their polling station.

Registering to vote is quick and easy and can be done online by visiting www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.  Anyone without access to the internet can get a paper copy of the registration form from the Worcestershire Hub at the Town Hall in Kidderminster.

Electors who would like to vote by post or proxy and have not registered for either of these ways of voting will need to apply. Postal and proxy vote application forms are available to download from the Council’s website www.wyreforestdc.gov.uk/elections. The deadline for applying for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 18 April 2017. This is also the deadline for amending or cancelling existing postal votes. For applications for a proxy vote, the deadline is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2017.

Ian Miller, Returning Officer for Wyre Forest, said,

“Time is running out to make sure you can take part in elections this May, so I’d encourage everyone in the district to take action now if they’re not already registered to vote. It’s quick and easy to register, but after the deadline of 13 April, it will be too late.”

Emma Hartley, Head of Campaigns at the Electoral Commission said:

“Our research shows that young people, students and recent home movers are particularly less likely to be registered to vote. So if you have moved house recently, then make sure you’re registered correctly. If you’re not registered, you won’t be able to have your say on issues that directly affect your day-to-day life in Wyre Forest.”