Look out for poll cards – and check the details
Poll cards have been issued to voters in St Albans District for important local elections on Thursday 1 May.
The elections are for Hertfordshire County Council with all 78 seats up for election including ten in St Albans District.
On the same day, a by-election will take place in the Redbourn ward of St Albans City and District Council following the resignation of a Councillor.
There will also be by-elections for one seat in each of the Harpenden North and Harpenden West wards of Harpenden Town Council as well as two seats in its Harpenden South ward.
St Albans City and District Council is administering the elections and has now posted poll cards to around 110,000 people who are registered to vote.
Voters should examine their cards carefully to check the location of their polling station as this may have changed from the last time they voted.
They do not need to bring their poll cards with them to vote, but doing so makes it easier for the polling station staff to find you on the electoral register.
Voters are reminded that they must show approved photo ID when voting at a polling station.
Amanda Foley, Returning Officer for St Albans City and District, said:
We are asking people to look out for their poll cards and to keep them safe for when they can vote.
We don’t want people turning up to the wrong place to vote, so it is important that they check the details, particularly the location of the polling station.
Hertfordshire County Council provides important public services such as education, social care, highways and transport, libraries and the county’s fire and rescue service.
Voter ID
Voters are required to present an approved form of photo ID to vote at a polling station. This includes a current or expired UK passport or driver’s licence provided the photograph is a true likeness of the voter.
Anyone who does not have approved ID can apply for free ID online, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
Details of approved photo ID and how to apply for free ID are available on the poll cards and the Electoral Commission’s website www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id.
The deadline for applying for the Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Wednesday 23 April.
Register To Vote
Residents in St Albans District have only a short time left to register to vote at this May’s elections.
Everyone aged 18 and above who is not registered at their current address should do so by midnight on Friday 11 April.
It takes only a few minutes to register at your current address by going online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
People who were eligible to vote in last year’s elections and whose details have not changed will still be registered. They can check by calling the Council’s Electoral Services Team on 01727 819294.
Postal and Proxy Votes
The Easter bank holiday weekend, Friday 18 to Monday 21 April, comes shortly before polling day.
Residents who may be away during the holiday and election period are advised to consider applying for a postal or proxy vote.
Postal vote packs are due to be despatched between 11 April and 22 April, depending on the date the postal vote was applied for, and must be completed and returned by 10pm on 1 May.
The deadline for applying to vote by post, or for amending an existing postal or proxy vote, is 5pm on Monday 14 April.
For applying to vote by proxy, the deadline is 5pm on Wednesday 23 April. In certain circumstances, an emergency proxy vote can be applied for up until 5pm on the day of the election.
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.
Forms to apply to vote by post or proxy are also available from the Council’s Electoral Services Team or from the Electoral Commission’s website: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/ways-vote.
Candidate List
The full list of candidates for the elections will be published after 4pm on Wednesday 2 April.
Further Information
To find more information about the elections, go to: www.stalbans.gov.uk/voting-and-elections.
Media Contact: John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer, 01727 819533, john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.