Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, like many other councils in England, have scheduled local elections in May 2023.
British citizens, qualifying Commonwealth citizens and citizens of the Republic of Ireland are eligible to vote. Students can also vote in local elections at both your university address and your home address. You can check which local authorities have upcoming elections on the Electoral Commission website.
To be eligible to vote in the 2023 local elections you must register to vote before 17 April 2023 on the gov.uk website. This includes updating your registration if you have moved addresses or if your name has changed.
For the first time, you will also need to show an accepted form of photographic identification when voting at a local election. The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station is a new condition, introduced under the UK Government’s Elections Act, which comes into effect for the first time this May.
Make sure you are ready to vote in 2023’s local elections by checking now for an accepted form of ID and bringing it with you to the polling station in May.
If you don’t have an accepted form of photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, the deadline to apply for this is 25 April 2023.
