A General Election has been called for Thursday 4 July and Somerset residents are urged to register to vote and check their Voter ID so they can have their say on who represents them in Parliament. If you are already registered and received a poll card for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections on 2 May, you do not need to take any further action.
Boundaries have changed since the last General Election so there are now seven constituencies wholly or partly in the Somerset Council area. They are: Bridgwater; Frome and East Somerset; Glastonbury and Somerton; Taunton and Wellington; Tiverton and Minehead; Wells and Mendip Hills; and Yeovil.
The Notice of Election is being published next week and the nomination period for prospective Parliamentary candidates (PPCs) closes on Friday 7 June at 4pm.
To vote, residents must be on the electoral register. With the deadline to register to vote fast approaching, Somerset Council is urging people who have not registered at their current address to make sure they are registered in time.
If you have recently turned 18 or moved home, it is particularly important that you act to ensure that you are registered to vote. If in doubt, you can check with Somerset Council on 0300 123 2224.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Tuesday 18 June. It takes just five minutes to apply online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm Wednesday 19 June.
Electors voting in person at the polling station are now required to present an accepted photo ID before being issued with their ballot paper.
Those who are registered to vote at the polling station but do not have an accepted photo ID can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate before the deadline at 5pm on Wednesday 26 June. You can apply online via: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
Voters have a range of options for casting their vote – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June.
If you have any questions about Voter ID or would like to request a paper form to apply for the Voter Authority Certificate, contact 0300 123 2224 or email elections@somerset.gov.uk.
