People eligible to vote in this year’s local elections are being told to make sure they register in time or they won’t be able to help choose a councillor for their area or a Mayor for the Borough.
Elections will be held for the Mayor of Bedford Borough, local Councillors, and Parish and Town Councillors on 4 May 2023.
In order to vote in this important election, Bedfordians must be on the electoral register. The deadline to register to vote is 11:59pm on Monday, 17 April.
Locals are also being reminded they will need to show photographic identification to vote in elections in Bedford Borough next month.
Read: Photo ID required for in-person voting at local elections this May
The new Government rules mean those wanting to vote at polling stations in the borough council elections will need to bring ID with them.
This could be a UK passport, Driving Licence, or disabled blue badge. A full list of acceptable identification can be found on the Voter ID pages of the Electoral Commission’s website.
However, people can apply for a free ‘Voter Authority Certificate’ if they do not have an accepted form of ID and want to vote, by 25 April, at gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.
Laura Church, Chief Executive at Bedford Borough Council, said: “Don’t lose this chance to have your say. Make sure you are registered to vote and make your voice heard in this year’s local elections.”
If you have already registered to vote, you should have received your poll card.
For anyone that has not got their poll card but thinks they are registered to vote, they need to let Borough Council now by emailing electoral.registration@bedford.gov.uk.
There are other deadlines if you are unable to vote at your polling station in person on the 4 May:
- You need to request a postal vote by 5pm on Tuesday, 18 April
- To request a proxy vote you have until 5pm on Tuesday, 25 April
However, the advice is to let the council know as soon as possible if you wish to receive a postal vote or proxy vote.
To find out more about the 2023 local elections, head to Bedford Borough Council’s dedicated local elections and voting webpage.
