Poll cards issued for local elections

District, Town and Parish elections will take place on Thursday 4 May 2023 and Poll Cards notifying residents of these elections are being sent out from today, Friday 17 March.

The poll cards inform residents across Stratford-on-Avon District where their polling station is and when they can vote, from 7am until 10pm.

There has been a recent Boundary Review which may affect the polling station where you are expected to vote - please check your Poll Card.

As in previous years, voters have a range of options for casting their ballot - in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.

To be able to vote at these elections residents must either be on the electoral register or have applied to be so by Monday 17 April.  If in doubt, please contact Stratford District Council's Elections Office on 01789 260208 to check if you are on the electoral register at your current address.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 18 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 25 April.

Voter ID
New legislation now means that if electors wish to vote at a polling station they will need to show an acceptable form of photo ID. For further details and a list of photo ID please see the Council's website at Voter ID at Polling Stations | Stratford-on-Avon District Council

If electors do not have an acceptable form of photo ID, they can apply on-line for a Voter Authority Certificate at Apply for photo ID to vote (called a 'Voter Authority Certificate') - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The deadline for applications for these certificates for use at the May elections is 25 April 2023.

For all elections enquiries please contact Stratford District Council's elections office on 01789 260208.

• District Elections are taking place in Stratford-on-Avon District on 4 May 2023
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• The legislation requires voters at polling stations to show an accepted form of photo ID before they receive their ballot paper. From May, voters will need to show photo ID before voting in local council elections in England, UK parliamentary by-elections, and police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales. From October 2023, photo ID will be needed at UK parliamentary general elections. It will not be a requirement at local elections in Scotland or Wales, or elections to Scottish Parliament or Senedd. The requirement already exists in Northern Ireland.