Thanet District Council Press Release – You are registered to vote, aren’t you?

You are registered to vote, aren’t you?

Households in Thanet are being reminded to register to vote ahead of going to the polls on Thursday 6 May 2021.

In order to have a say on who represents you at the following elections, you need to have applied to register to vote by midnight on Monday 19 April. This takes five minutes and can be done online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

• Police & Crime Commissioner Election
• Kent County Council Election
• Newington Ward By Election
• Dane Valley By Election
• Central Harbour Ward By Election
• Broadstairs Neighbourhood Plan Referendum
• Ramsgate Town Council Central Harbour By Election

If you are already registered to vote, you do not need to register again unless your circumstances have changed, for example, you have changed address.

Three ways to cast your vote on 6 May

Voters have a range of options for casting their ballot:

• in person
• by post
• by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.

Anyone can apply for a postal vote and during the current pandemic you may wish to consider whether this is the best option for you. Voters have the option of requesting a postal vote until further notice (a permanent postal vote) or solely for this election. The deadline to apply to vote by post is 5pm on Tuesday 20 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 27 April.

Madeline Homer, Electoral Returning Officer for Thanet District Council said:

“Now is the time to make sure your voice is heard in the local elections in May. We are urging all eligible votes to ensure they are registered to vote, especially if they have moved house this year. You have until midnight on Monday 19 April and it only takes a few minutes to register and have your say.

“If you decide to vote by post, please don’t wait until the deadline to apply. Sending your application now will make sure it’s processed early, and your postal vote can be sent to you more quickly once the candidates for the election are confirmed. Postal voting is easy to apply for and is a safe and secure way of taking part in the upcoming elections. If you would prefer to appoint a proxy you have until 27 April to submit your application.”

Ailsa Irvine, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance at the Electoral Commission added:

“The choice on how to vote at the elections is yours – you can have your say in person, by post or by proxy. However you choose to cast your vote in May, you will be able to do so safely.”

For further information on elections, how to register to vote, or how to apply to vote by post or by proxy, please visit www.thanet.gov.uk/upcoming-elections. This page will continue to be updated ahead of the polls.

If people need any help to register or would like to check that they are already registered, they should contact electoral.services@thanet.gov.uk or 01843 577500.

ENDS

Notes

1. The deadline to register to vote for the May 2021 elections is midnight on Monday 19 April.
2. The deadline to apply to vote by post is 5pm on Tuesday 20 April 2021 but we are encouraging voters to apply now.
3. Those wishing to apply to vote by proxy have until 5pm on Tuesday 27 April 2021.
   If you already have a proxy appointed to vote for you but the proxy is then affected by COVID-19, you can appoint a new proxy up until 17:00 on polling day.
4. To vote in the Local elections on 6 May 2021, people need to be on the electoral register and be aged 18 or over on polling day and be either a British, Irish, EU or qualifying Commonwealth citizen.
5. The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. It was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK, Scottish and Welsh Parliaments.
6. Elections taking place in Thanet on Thursday 6 May 2021 include:

·        Police & Crime Commissioner Election

·        Kent County Council Election

·        Newington Ward By Election

·        Dane Valley By Election

·        Central Harbour Ward By Election

·        Broadstairs Neighbourhood Plan Referendum

·        Ramsgate Town Council Central Harbour By Election

For more information, please contact Press.Office@thanet.gov.uk or 01843 577034