News Prepare to vote in General Election

Maidstone Borough Council (MBC) is reminding all residents to get prepared to vote in the upcoming General Election on Thursday 4 July by making sure they are registered and have any absent voting arrangements in place that they need.

Anyone who received a polling card in the recent local elections held on 2 May 2024 and has not moved house, will already be registered. Anyone who has moved house or into the area since then, or did not receive a poll card, will need to register before 18 June 2024, and should do so as soon as possible.

In order to vote in person, everyone needs to bring a form of photo ID with them to the Polling Station. For those people who do not have a valid form of ID they need to apply for a voter authority certificate now before the 26 June deadline.

Angela Woodhouse, Acting Returning Officer for the elections said:

“We want to encourage everyone to vote in the upcoming General Election as it is really important that everyone who has the right to vote takes the opportunity to get their voice heard.”

Anyone who won’t be able to get to the polling station on polling day, can vote by post or a arrange a proxy. To vote by post they will need to be registered by 18 June, and apply for a postal vote by 5pm on 19 June. Anyone wishing to vote this way can either apply online through https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote or by downloading, printing and completing a postal vote application form.

To arrange a proxy vote, where someone who cannot go to the polling station in person allows someone they trust to vote on their behalf, electors should visit https://www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote.

Angela continues:

“Every vote counts and we want to make sure that all our residents who are eligible to vote can do so. We are reminding voters who need to register to vote or want to apply for a postal or proxy vote not to wait and to do so as soon as possible. This makes sure we can process them in good time and ensure they have the opportunity to vote.”

A wide range of photographic identification is acceptable at polling stations including:

• Driver’s licences
• Passports
• Some concessionary travel passes
• PASS cards
• Ministry of Defence identity cards
• Photocard parking permits issued as part of the Blue Badge scheme
• Free Voter Authority Certificates, provided by local authorities

Expired photographic identification will also be accepted if the photograph is of a good enough likeness to allow polling station staff to confirm the identity of the holder.

To find out more about voter photo ID and applying for a Voter Authority Certificate please go to: www.electoralcommission.org.uk

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