Time to sign up: deadlines for registering to vote, apply for postal votes and applying for free voter ID are coming up next month
The introduction of the requirement on the public to produce photo ID when they go to vote is a deliberate effort by the beleaguered and failed Conservative Government to stop younger and marginalised citizens from exercising their democratic rights.
That’s according to Sadiq Khan, who is seeking a historic third term as Mayor of London in elections on May 2.
Deadlines are approaching for voter registration and to apply for postal and proxy votes, and Mayor Khan is encouraging all Londoners to ensure that they are properly registered and have an acceptable form of photo ID before election day.
“Make no mistake,” the Mayor of London tweeted this week, “the Tories’ introduction of photo ID to vote is designed to stop younger and historically marginalised people from voting. Do not let them.”
Mayor Khan is encouraging everyone to sign-up with the electoral commission for a free photo ID now. Full details can be found by clicking here. The deadline for applying for photo ID is April 24.
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Croydon Council’s chief exec, Katherine “Go Slow” Kerswell, notorious for staging the nation’s slowest-ever election count in 2022, has also issued a reminder to all residents to register to vote and ensure that they have all the necessary documentation on time.
“Elections are a vital part of the democratic process,” said Kerswell, adopting her usual, uber-patronising tone.
To vote in May’s elections residents must be registered to vote before midnight on Tuesday April 16.
According to Kerswell’s “digital-first” council, “The quickest way to register to vote is to apply online, it takes just five minutes and all you need is your National Insurance number.”
To register to vote, you must be 18 or over on polling day, and a British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union citizen to vote in elections. Anyone who has moved home recently, changed their name or nationality, should double check that they are registered and update their detail on the voting register.
The council’s online voter registration page can be found by clicking here.
According to a press release issued by Kerswell this week, “Your vote is an opportunity to use your democratic right to influence local and national policies.”
The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm Wednesday April 17, and the deadline to apply for a proxy to vote on your behalf is 5pm Wednesday April 24.
The law has also changed for how long you can have a permanent postal vote for. The maximum time you can have a postal vote is three years. If you have a permanent postal vote, the council says it will write to you when it is time for you to reapply. For more information or to apply or renew a postal vote, click here.
The council says, “If you choose to vote by proxy, the nominated person you choose to vote on your behalf will need to show their own photo ID to vote at a polling station.”
For more information on proxy votes, or to apply, click here.
Kerswell said, “The law has changed and now requires us all to show photo ID at polling stations in order to vote. I would encourage everyone to check you’ve got an acceptable form of ID and if you don’t, apply in good time for the free Voter Authority Certificate.
“With this being Croydon’s first election since the changes, please do remind your friends, family and neighbours not to forget their photo ID on May 2.”
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This is also the first UK election where UK citizens based overseas for more than 15 years are able to vote. This includes people from those who were born in the UK to British families but who left the country as children, to those who retired to another country more than 15 years ago. I have no idea how many voters this involves within Croydon’s electoral roll.