Here are some useful links and information that you may find helpful:
Register to vote: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The deadline for people to register to vote is Monday 17 April 2023.
Postal votes: https://www.braintree.gov.uk/voting-elections/postal-proxy-votes. People will need to download a postal vote application form from our website and send to our Elections team at Braintree District Council. If people do not have access to a printer, they can contact the Elections team by calling 01376 552525 or emailing elections@braintree.gov.uk and they will send out an application form for them. The deadline to register for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 18 April 2023.
Proxy votes: https://www.braintree.gov.uk/voting-elections/postal-proxy-votes/2. People will need to download a proxy vote application form from our website and send to our Elections team at Braintree District Council. If people do not have access to a printer, they can contact the Elections team by calling 01376 552525 or emailing elections@braintree.gov.uk and they will send out an application form for them. The deadline to register for a proxy vote is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023.
Voter ID
As you will be aware, at this year’s local elections, residents will need to bring along photo ID in order to vote at a polling station.
Acceptable forms of photo ID include a passport, driving licence, a blue badge, Oyster 60+ card or UK Biometric Residence Permit. The full list of acceptable forms of photo ID can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id.
More details about Voter ID can be found on our website at www.braintree.gov.uk/voterid.
Postal and proxy votes
Postal voters will not be affected by the new Voter ID requirements and will be issued with their postal ballot papers as usual.
If people choose to vote by proxy then the person who they have trusted to vote on their behalf will have to take their own photo ID or Voter Authority Certificate to the relevant polling station in order to be issued with a ballot paper.
If people don’t have suitable ID
If someone does not have suitable ID, they will need to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. This is a free photographic identification document specific for the purposes of voting provided by central Government. It is important to note that people only need to apply for the Voter Authority Certificate if they DO NOT have any of the accepted photo ID’s.
The application process for the Voter Authority Certificate is managed through the GOV.UK website and people can apply online here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id/applying-a-voter-authority-certificate?fbclid=IwAR2zuAMEeh-MhojbPk4PJtYct_1DsuasbCft81-TDOTB28DeaLNH9Gfq8dA.
The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023 and people will need to be registered to vote in order to apply for one.
People can also apply via a paper application form and sending back to our Elections team: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-voter-authority-certificate-by-post-if-youre-living-in-the-uk.