Residents are being reminded of three elections taking place in County Durham in May.
On Thursday 2nd May, elections are taking place to appoint a Police and Crime Commissioner for the Durham Police area, which includes Durham and Darlington, and a Mayor for the new North East Mayoral Combined Authority.
There will also be a local election taking place on this day for Durham County Council’s Horden division.
Poll cards will be delivered to residents from 25th March. Anyone currently registered and eligible to vote in this election will receive a poll card with details of their voting preference.
Anyone who is listed on the electoral register can request a postal or proxy vote, which can now be done online.
To apply for postal or proxy vote online, voters will need to provide their national insurance number and their signature to be checked by the Department of Work and Pensions.
For these elections, the deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on Wednesday 17th April and 5pm on Wednesday 24th April for proxy vote applications.
Online applications for postal and proxy votes can be found at www.gov.uk/vote-uk-election.
Anyone who wishes to vote in person at these elections must show an acceptable form of photo ID, such as a passport, driving licence or concessionary travel pass. A full list of acceptable photo ID can be found on the poll card or online at www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need.
Voters who do not have an accepted form of photo ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.
All applications for a free Voter Authority Certificate for this election must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 24th April.
For these elections, the deadline to register to vote is midnight on Tuesday 16th April. Anyone who is not registered or has recently moved house and not informed electoral services is encouraged to register by the deadline. This can be done online at:
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
To request a paper copy of any application form, or for further assistance with voting, contact electoral services on 03000 261212 or email electoralservices@durham.gov.uk