Don't lose your voice! Check you are registered to vote on 2 May

Cheshire East Council is asking people to ensure they are registered to vote – so they don’t miss out on having their say in local elections on 2 May.

The message from Cheshire East is: If you can’t vote, you haven’t got a voice.

If you are not registered, you could miss out on being able to vote in the upcoming borough, town and parish elections.

Polling cards have been posted to registered electors in the past few days. If you have not received your polling card by 7 April, you should contact the council to ensure you are registered to vote. 

Alternatively, if you are not already registered, you can register to vote via the government’s website at: www.gov.uk/registertovote

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on 12 April. Cheshire East Council is actively supporting the Electoral Commission’s drive to boost voter registration.

If you have not yet received your polling card, ring the council’s elections team staff on: 0300 123 5016.

Cheshire East Council’s acting chief executive Kath O’Dwyer, who is the Returning Officer for the local elections in the borough, said: “Please don’t leave it too late to register to vote in the local elections on 2 May. A healthy democracy needs actively-engaged voters – and you can’t vote if you aren’t registered.

“It is vitally important that people cast their ballot and don’t miss out on this opportunity to have a voice on the local issues that affect the lives of all of us. I would urge everyone of voting age to take just a few minutes to ensure that they are registered to vote.”

The deadlines to apply for a postal vote or a proxy vote are also looming:

● The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Monday 15 April. Completed forms must be received by the Cheshire East Council elections team before this deadline.

● The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April. Completed forms must be received by the Cheshire East Council elections team before this deadline.

Anyone looking for more information about voting should visit the website: www.yourvotematters.co.uk.

Remember: registering to vote does not mean you have to – it just means you don’t lose out on the opportunity to do so.

On polling day, Thursday 2 May, polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm.

Information about voting at this election is available at: www.yourvotematters.co.uk