Are you prepared? England and Wales elections on 2nd May

Be prepared. Make a plan. Exercise your vote.

If you live in England or Wales, there’s a very good chance you’ve got elections to vote in on 2nd May. 

Although there won’t be a General Election on this date where you would have been able to vote for your Member of Parliament and the next Government, representatives elected on a more local level can have massive repercussions for services and people in your communities. 

Elections happening in England or Wales include:

•    Local government elections in England
•    Local authority mayoral elections
•    Combined authority mayoral elections
•    Police and Crime Commissioner elections
•    Greater London Authority elections
•    Parliamentary and council by-elections 
 

How can you prepare?

  1. Register to vote 

If you have moved since you last voted, or you think you might have fallen off the electoral register for any reason, register again. You won’t be penalised for registering again ‘just in case’. But you’ll only get one vote! 

Register to vote here. https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote 

  1. Do you need a postal vote or a proxy vote?

If you think you might be away on 2nd May or won’t be able to get to the polling station between 7am-10pm, apply for a postal vote or proxy vote (where someone else can vote on your behalf).

If you get a postal vote, make sure your signature on the application and on the paperwork accompanying your ballot are the same or your ballot could be rejected. Also underneath your signature on the papers that accompany the ballot, make sure you’re putting your date of birth and not the date you fill in the ballot. You wouldn’t believe how many ballots can be rejected because they don’t read the form properly…

If you have a postal vote but don’t post it in time, you can drop it off at your polling station on the day.

  1. Is there anyone you can support to register to vote or apply for postal/proxy votes?

Not everyone is able to keep track of their electoral status or whether an existing postal vote might have expired. If you know someone with learning disabilities, whether in a professional or personal capacity, you can use the ‘Promote the Vote’ guidance which has been co-created by BASW 

  1. Photo ID

In England, you now need photo ID if you are to vote in person at a polling station. In Wales, you will need to show photo ID when you vote for your police and crime commissioner. 

You can find the full list of accepted photo ID here.

If you don’t have an accepted form of ID, you can apply for a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’ in advance of polling day

  1. Polling day 

Polling stations will open from 7am, and you can find out where your polling station is here 

If for whatever reason yours doesn’t show, you can contact your local authority who will be able to tell you where to go. Alternatively, if a candidate or party knocks on your door in the days/weeks running up to the election, they will know where you should go. 

Many places will have multiple elections, such as London where you will be able to vote for Mayor, your Greater London Assembly member, and a wider Greater London Assembly list – as well as any council or parliamentary by-elections that are taking place. 

Ballot papers for high profile elections such as Mayor of London can be very long. There will be polling clerks at the station who will be able to help you should you need any assistance. 

Don’t sign your ballot. Clearly indicate a positive vote in a box (or deliberately spoil your ballot!). Don’t assume that writing or drawing something negative in a box will indicate that you don’t want that particular candidate or party. Candidates and their agents will argue that an inappropriate drawing in a ballot box is a clear indication of preference – and sometimes they’re successful! 

Be prepared. Make a plan. Exercise your vote. 

If you have any questions about elections, you can contact Kerri.Prince@basw.co.uk