On Thursday 6 May, residents in Sedgemoor District Council area will have their say on who represents them at the Avon and Somerset Police and Crime Commissioner election. The Police and Crime Commissioner is the person who oversees your local police force and ensures they are prioritising what matters to you. Elections will also be running in Sedgemoor for Burnham-on-Sea and Highbridge Town Council bye-election for the Burnham Central ward; as well as the Nether Stowey Neighbourhood Plan referendum.
In order to vote in these elections, residents must be on the electoral register. With the deadline to register to vote fast approaching, Sedgemoor District Council is urging people who have not registered at their current address to make sure they are registered in time. The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday, 19 April. It takes just five minutes to apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Robert Brown, Electoral Registration Officer for Sedgemoor District Council, said: “These elections are an important opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who represents you on issues that directly affect day-to-day life here Sedgemoor District Council If you’re not registered by 19 April, you won’t be able to vote.”
Ailsa Irvine, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance at the Electoral Commission said: “You can’t have your say in these important elections unless you are registered to vote. It’s quick and easy – it takes just five minutes online at www.gov.uk/registertovote. 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 you were registered to vote in the last election and your details have not changed, you don’t need to take any action. If in doubt, you can check with your local authority on 0300 303 7800.
Voters have a range of options for casting their ballot – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote. For those who choose to vote in person, all polling stations will have Covid-safe measures in place, making them safe places to vote on 6 May.
The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 20 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 27 April.
For more information on the Police and Crime Commissioner election please visit www.avonpccelection.org.uk
