News Your vote matters – don’t lose it says MBC
With a General Election scheduled to be held on 12 December, there is less than a month for people to make sure they are registered to vote, and Maidstone Borough Council is encouraging everyone to make sure they’re able to have their say at the polls.
Anyone who wants to vote must ensure that they are on the electoral register before Tuesday 26 November; they only have to do so once and registering only takes a few minutes. (However, if they have changed their address, name or nationality since they first registered, they should do so again with their current information.)
If anyone is unsure whether they are qualified to vote at a UK General Election - they must:
- Be 18 or over on 12 December
- Be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
- Be resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
- Not be legally excluded from voting
- Be on the electoral register
- Register by Tuesday 26 November
They are required to compete a form online at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk
and follow the instructions to vote. The minimum required is National Insurance Details and Date of Birth.
For those who are unable to vote on 12 December there are two choices which are a postal vote or voting by proxy.
Postal Vote:
All registered voters are eligible to have a postal vote without having to give a reason. They can apply for a postal vote by going to: www.electoralcommission.org.uk
and return the completed form to their local Electoral Registration Office. All postal vote application forms must be returned by 5pm, 11 working days before the poll – Tuesday 26 November 2019.
Proxy Vote:
Voters can appoint someone else to play their vote on their behalf. Anyone who is registered to vote can cast as their proxy. The required form to complete will depend on the reason for requiring a proxy. More information can be found at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk
Allowed reasons for a proxy vote application include:
- Being overseas
- Being at work
- Attending a course
- Being disabled
- Living overseas
- Serving overseas in the armed forces