By Peter Makossah
Nottingham City residents are being urged to prepare and be ready to vote by checking they have an accepted form of ID and are registered to vote in next month’s local elections.
The local elections will take place a month from now on Thursday May 4th 2023.
Melbourne Barrett, Returning Officer at Nottingham City Council, said: “With City Council elections taking place in Nottingham on 4 May 2023, “it is important that those who want to vote at a polling station make sure they have an accepted form of ID.
“Residents who do not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free voter ID either online or by completing a paper application form and sending this to council’s Electoral Services team.”
The Nottingham City Council, in a press statement, is encouraging anyone who wants to have their say in these elections that they must be registered to vote by 11:59pm Monday, April 17th.
Reads the statement: “For the first time this year, residents will now need to show photo ID to be able to vote at a polling station.
“Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card.”
The Council say voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.
“Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID will be able to apply for free ID online at voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk or by completing a paper form by 5pm Tuesday 25 April,” warns the Council.
The full list of accepted ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website, along with more information about the new requirement and details of how to apply for the free ID, at electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID.
For help with applying for the free ID or to request an application form, email, elections@nottinghamcity.gov.uk or call 0115 8764111. Paper applications for voter ID should be sent to Electoral Services, Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham NG2 3NG.
Voters wishing to apply to their council for free ID should make sure they are registered to vote first. If you are not already registered, it only takes five minutes to register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
People can also vote by post, where no photo ID is required. The deadline to apply or change details to vote by Post is 5pm Tuesday 18 April.
The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station, is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act which was passed last year and comes into effect for the first time this May.
“It is important that those who want to vote at a polling station make sure they have an accepted form of ID.”
Melbourne Barrett
Returning Officer at Nottingham City Council
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