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Information for voters

Information on types of elections, when they take place, who can vote, how - where and why to vote, who the candidates are, where you'll find the results and how you can get more involved.

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What types of election/referendum are there and when do they take place?

Local elections

Ward election

A ward election, also known as a district election, takes place to elect a councillor for your local Ward who sits on East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

There are 67 councillors who sit on East Riding of Yorkshire Council with your local ward being represented by usually two or three councillors.

Ward elections take place on the first Thursday of May once every four years (unless a vacancy arises, in which case a by-election will take place for that ward).

The next ward elections for East Riding of Yorkshire Council are due to take place on the first Thursday in May 2023.

Parish election

A Parish or town council election is held to elect councillors to sit on your local Parish or town council.

Unless a casual vacancy arises during a term of office (four years), parish and town council elections take place once every four years, usually on the first Thursday in May.

During a term of office, an election can also take place when a vacancy has been advertised and 10 electors have requested an election for that specific parish or town. If there is no request for an election then a vacancy can be filled by co-option (by invitation).

The last elections for all 168 parish and town councils in the East Riding took place on the first Thursday in May 2023.

For more information please visit the The Electoral Commission website:

Local elections on The Electoral Commission website (external website)

Parliamentary (general) election

A Parliamentary Election, also known as a General Election, is an opportunity for people to choose their Member of Parliament (MP) - the person who will represent their local area (constituency) in the House of Commons for up to five years.

For more information on MPs please refer to the Members of Parliament page.

There is normally a choice of several candidates in each constituency, some of which are the local candidates for national political parties. People can only vote for one of the candidates and the candidate that receives most votes becomes their MP.

A General Election is held every five years unless government protocol calls for one in between. In accordance with the Fixed Term Parliament Act, then next UK Parliamentary General Election will be held on Thursday 2 May 2024.

A by-election occurs when a seat becomes vacant in the House of Commons due to a resignation, expulsion, elevation to the Peerage (House of Lords), bankruptcy, mental illness or death. A by-election does not take place if a Member changes their political allegiance.

For more information please visit The Electoral Commission website:

General elections on The Electoral Commission website (external website)

Police and Crime Commissioner election

The Police Reform and Social Responsibility Act 2011 introduced the role of an elected police and crime commissioner for each of the 41 police force areas in England and Wales outside London.

The elected police and crime commissioner in this area covers the Humberside area, the area covered by the local authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.covers the Humberside area, the area covered by the local authorities of East Riding of Yorkshire, Kingston upon Hull, North Lincolnshire and North East Lincolnshire.

Elections take place in May once every four years. The last police and crime commissioner election took place on 5 May 2016.

The next election was due to be held on 7 May 2020, but, due to the coronavirus COVID-19 emergency, this has now been postponed until Thursday 6 May 2021.

For more information about what a police and crime commissioner does and how, when and where they are elected, please visit About My Vote website:

About my vote - Police and crime commissioner elections (external website)

Referendums

A referendum asks you to vote on a question.

Neighbourhood Planning Referendums

Neighbourhood planning was introduced under the Localism Act 2011 to give local communities more control in the planning of their neighbourhoods. It introduced new rights and powers to allow local communities to shape new development in their local area. It enables communities to develop a shared vision for their neighbourhood and deliver the sustainable development they need through planning policies relating to the development and use of land.

Who can vote at elections?

Even though you may have registered to vote, only certain people can vote in specific elections.

Read the full voting criteria for each of the following elections:

For more information on registering to vote visit the register to vote page.

Why should I vote at elections?

The following might help you decide if you should vote:

  • Being able to vote gives you a say on who represents you in your local council, in the UK Parliament, in Europe and in your police area

  • At any election in your area, one or more candidates will be selected to represent you whether you vote or not. If you vote you get to have your say on who represents you

  • Some people are quick to say when they disagree with politicians, but if you don’t vote, you won’t be able to have your say

  • Across the world people have died fighting for the right to vote and be part of a democracy.

It gives you a say on important issues that affect you - everything from roads and recycling in your area to education, crime and climate. Registering to vote doesn’t mean you have to, it just means you can if you want to.

If you haven’t registered to vote but feel strongly about a local or national policy, come polling day, you will not be able to vote. For more information on registering to vote visit the register to vote page.

To find out more about registering to vote, visit The Electoral Commission website:

Registering to vote on the The Electoral Commission website (external website)

Do I need to re-register to be able to vote in the upcoming election/referendum?

No. Providing that you are eligible to vote you do not need to re-register to vote in upcoming elections.

If you have recently moved into a property

If you have moved house since returning the annual canvass form (sent to residents in July 2018) and not notified electoral services then you will need to register to vote at your new property.

When will I receive my poll card or postal vote pack?

If you have registered to vote you will receive your poll cards or postal packs as follows:

Poll cards

Poll cards are sent out in two waves:

  • Wave one: approximately one month before the election/referendum

  • Wave two: approximately one week before the election/referendum.

Don't worry if you don't receive your poll card. You don't need it to vote.

Read more about how to vote without a poll card.

If you have received a poll card for someone not living at your address

If you receive a poll card for someone not living at your address please put it back in the post and write 'Return to Sender, addressee not at this address' over the address. You do not need to affix a postage stamp.

Postal vote packs

If you have opted to vote by post, postal vote packs are sent out in three waves:

  • Wave one: approximately three weeks before the election/referendum

  • Wave two: approximately one week before the election/referendum.

If you are going to be away when your postal vote is due to be delivered, you will need to apply for a proxy vote as it will not be possible to make arrangements for your postal pack to be collected or posted out to you earlier.

Do I need to bring ID or my poll card with me to be able to vote?

From Thursday 4 May 2023, when the next local elections will be held, the UK Government is introducing a new requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station. This also applies to proxy voters, who must show their photo ID - not the ID of the person who nominated them to vote in their place. It does not apply to postal votes.

Accepted forms of photo ID

You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable. You can use any of the following:

  • passport
  • driving licence (including provisional license)
  • blue badge
  • certain concessionary travel cards
  • identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
  • Biometric Immigration document
  • defence identity card
  • certain national identity cards.

Accepted photo ID - more information on the Electoral Commission's website (external website)

Or you can call the Electoral Commission's helpline on 0800 328 0280.

I do not have acceptable photo ID, what can I do?

If you don't already have an accepted form of photo ID, or you're not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. You can apply for this online:

Voter Authority Certificate service (external website)

For more information on the requirement for photo ID and help with a Voter Authority Certificate, or for a paper application form, please contact Electoral Services:

Tel: (01482) 393300
Email: electoral.services@eastriding.gov.uk

Please note: the deadline for applying for a Voter Authority Certificate is six working days before polling day.

Poll cards

You do not need to take your poll card with you to your assigned polling station unless you are an anonymous voter.

Please note: your poll card will not be accepted as a substitute for an accepted photo ID.

How do I contact Electoral Services?

You can contact the electoral services team by either:

How do I find out who is standing at the upcoming elections?

To find out what elections are taking place and who is standing for election visit the Election notices page.

How do I apply for an emergency proxy?

An ‘emergency’ proxy vote can be applied from after 5pm, six working days before the election for those who could not have applied earlier because of unforeseen health or work reasons.

Please note: an emergency proxy does not include pre-planned hospital admissions or being called away for work at late notice.

For more information about how to apply for an emergency proxy visit the register to vote page.

Proxy applications

For information on applying for an ordinary proxy or postal proxy please visit the register to vote page.

How do I complete my postal vote pack?

Information on how to complete your postal vote pack can be found on the register to vote information page.

What do I do if I have lost, spoilt or not received my postal vote pack?

Information on what to do if you have lost, spoilt or not received your postal vote pack can be found on the register to vote information page. If you have made a mistake in completing your postal voting statement or ballot paper or torn them, please do not destroy them. Instead, in the first instance, follow the instructions in the postal vote packs information

Where can I view election/referendum results?

Results of recent and past elections can be viewed on the Election results page.

Where is my specified polling station?

You will receive a poll card in the post which will specify which polling station you must vote at. If you cannot vote at this specified polling station, you should apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote.

If your poll card does not arrive and you need to check where your designated polling station is, please contact electoral services.

How do I become a presiding officer, poll clerk or count assistant?

Presiding officer

Presiding officers are responsible for everything that goes on in their polling station. The presiding officer issues the ballot paper(s) to the voter and takes the ballot box to the count centre after the close of poll. Read more about the roles of polling staff.

Poll clerk

The role of the poll clerk is to assist the presiding officer in the running of the polling station. Read more about the roles of polling staff.

Count assistant

A count assistant works at the count centre after the close of poll, counting the number of ballot papers in each ballot box (verifying) and counting the number of votes for each candidate. Read more about the roles of polling staff.

Applying

If you are interested in becoming a presiding officer, poll clerk or count assistant, please contact Democratic Services in the first instance and an application form can be emailed/posted to you:

By email:

Email: elections@eastriding.gov.uk

Telephone:

Due to the ongoing working arrangements due to the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, anyone interested in working at an election is asked to use the e-mail address above rather than calling the election team.

Tel: (01482) 393300

In writing to:

Jayne Dale, senior committee manager
Democratic Services
East Riding of Yorkshire Council
County Hall
Cross Street
Beverley
HU17 9BA.

Please note: if you have previously carried out election work for East Riding of Yorkshire Council you do not need to re-submit a new form.

What was the Boundary Review 2018?

The UK Parliament decided to reduce the number of constituencies, and therefore MPs, from 650 to 600, and to make more equal the number of electors in each constituency. In England, the number of constituencies will reduce from 533 to 501. The number of constituencies in the Yorkshire and Humber region must reduce from 54 to 50. By law, every constituency proposed must contain between 71,031 and 78,507 electors.

Having begun a review of the constituency boundaries in February 2016, the Boundary Commission for England presented its final recommendations for new constituencies to Government on 5 September 2018. The Government laid the Boundary Commission for England's recommendations in Parliament for consideration on 10 September 2018.

The Boundary Commission for England is the independent and impartial body that considers where the boundaries of the new constituencies should be.

Visit the Boundary Commission for England website to view its final recommendations report:

Boundary Commission for England website (external website)

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