The North East will soon become the battleground for the 2023 local elections. On the 4th of May, the polling stations will be open, but people will need to make sure that they are registered in the coming days.
The registration process is a relatively straight forward one, with GOV.UK sharing a helpful guide to walk people through it step by step. The website states that registration usually takes around 5 minutes, there are just a series of questions that you will be asked to ensure you are eligible.
To be able to vote in the local elections you must be 18 or over, as well as one of the following:
- a British citizen.
- an Irish or EU citizen living in the UK.
- a Commonwealth citizen who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission.
- a citizen of another country living in Scotland or Wales who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission.
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In terms of what information is required, you will be asked for your National Insurance number, but it is still possible to register without one. There is also a different process to register anonymously, if there are concerns about the safety of someone in your household.
If you are already registered, it is also possible to use the service to change your name, address or nationality by registering again with you new details. The option to register via a paper form is also available on the website, you just need to print if off, fill it in, and send it over to your local registration office.
This is similar to the process if you are living abroad, you can use the service if you are a British citizen and were registered to vote within the last 15 years, and you may need your passport details to do so.
The deadline for registering to vote in these elections in England is 11:59pm on Monday the 17th of April. Make sure that you are on the electoral register by then to ensure that you can have your say in who will represent your area at a National level.
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