Press Release
Published on 15 April 2024
Archived on 15 May 2024
Ballot papers have been sent out to postal voters across the District for next month's Warwickshire Police and Crime Commissioner election.
19,595 postal vote packs for people registered to vote by post have now been issued by Stratford-on-Avon District Council.
Due to a change in legislation and new provisions from the Elections Act 2022, relating to the handling of postal votes, the District Council is urging residents to return their postal votes as soon as possible.
Stratford-on-Avon District Council's Senior Electoral Officer, Alice Revans-Perry said: "The first batch of postal votes have been delivered to our residents and we're encouraging people to return it as soon as possible.
"Due to the changes, our best advice is to post postal votes through Royal Mail as soon as possible. If you choose to hand in postal votes at the Council building or Polling Station, you will be limited to handing in no more than five postal votes for other electors, plus your own and you will also be required to complete a 'return of postal voting documents' form and declaration. These rules apply to all postal votes not posted through Royal Mail."
How to complete and return your postal vote
When voting by post, you should:
An instruction leaflet is included in your postal voting pack.
Also, please do not use unstaffed letterboxes at the Council offices as these will have to be rejected in compliance with the new legislation.
If you are too late to post your ballot paper back, you can hand it to your local polling station by 10pm on polling day, Thursday 2 May. However, this will require you to fill out a return of postal vote form.
Residents have until midnight on 16 April to make sure they are registered, in order to vote.
It is quick and simple to register by visiting www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. People will need their date of birth and National Insurance number to be able to register.
The deadline to apply for a new postal vote or a new postal proxy vote, or to make changes to existing postal or proxy postal votes is 5pm on Wednesday 17 April. Apply now at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
The deadline for new proxy vote applications (not postal proxy or emergency proxies) is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April. Apply now at www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote
Photographic identification is now required to vote at a polling station, this includes passports, driving licences, bus passes and disabled badges. The full list of all acceptable documents is available at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
Anyone who does not have one of the required forms of photo ID will be able to get a free Voter Authority Certificate from the Council. To apply, visit www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate. The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for the May elections is at 5pm on Wednesday 24 April 2024.
Stratford-on-Avon District Council
Elizabeth House, Church Street,
Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire,
CV37 6HX
Tel: 01789 267575
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