Electoral Services

Upcoming Elections

Notice of Election
Shepton Mallet Town Council (West Ward)

Notice of Election

PDF,

Nomination Pack

PDF,

Statement of Persons Nominated

PDF, 33.9 KB

Notice of Poll
Election of a Parish Councillor for Bishops Lydeard (Bishops Lydeard Ward) – 1 June 2023

Declaration of Result of Poll - Election of a Parish Councillor for Bishops Lydeard (Bishops Lydeard Ward)

PDF,

Notice of Poll

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Introduction

The Electoral Services Team is responsible for maintaining the Register of Electors and running elections, ensuring that they are carried out in accordance with the law.

You can only vote if your name is included in the register. It is also much more difficult to obtain credit if your name is not on the register as it is often used as ‘proof of residency’

Register to vote

If you have recently moved or if you are not registered at the moment, you can now register to vote online in as little as three minutes. You will need your National Insurance number, date of birth and full address to register.

Register to vote

If you cannot register online, please phone 0300 123 2224 so that a registration form can be sent out or further help provided.

Your form will be checked and sent to us. If your details match with the government records, we will confirm by post.

If your details do not match, we will ask you for ID such as a copy of your passport, driving licence or other documents.

You will only need to re-register if you move house or change your name – you can do this online with the new details.

You must confirm your details during our annual canvass. A form will be sent to every property listing everyone registered to vote. You can add new names or remove old information.

You can register if you are:

17 or over. You cannot vote until you are 18
a British, Irish Republic or Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of a European Union country living in the UK or a citizen of the Channel Islands or Isle of Man living in the UK

Voter ID

Changes to the way we vote in the UK, acceptable forms of photo ID, what to do if you vote by post or by proxy.

Although there are no scheduled elections in the area, from 4 May 2023 onwards, the Elections Act 2022 requires voters to show photographic identification (photo ID) at the polling station, before being given ballot papers for the following elections:

UK Parliamentary General Elections
local elections and referendums in England
Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales
UK recall petitions (a process that allows voters to recall MPs)

Read about voter identification on GOV.UK

Photo ID you can use

Acceptable forms of photo ID will include:

Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, and EEA state or a Commonwealth country
Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or an EEA state
Biometric immigration document
Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
Blue badge
National identity card issued by an EEA state
Older Person’s Bus Pass
Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
Oyster 60+ Card
Freedom Pass
Scottish National Entitlement Card issued in Scotland
60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
War Disablement SmartPass or Ward Disabled SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
Voter Authority Certificate or a temporary Voter Authority Certificate

If your photo ID has expired, it will still be accepted as long as the photograph is still a good likeness to you.

Get free photo ID for voting

If you do not have any of the accepted forms of photo ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate in person, by post or online.

This is a free photo ID document specific for the purposes of voting.

Apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’) – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

You vote by post

If you vote by post, you do not need to provide voter ID.

You vote by proxy

If your proxy votes on your behalf at the polling station, they will be asked to show their photo ID. They will not be asked to show any ID for you.

Future elections

May 2024 – Parliamentary (every 5 years)
May 2024 – Police and Crime Commissioners (every 4 years)
May 2027 – Somerset Council Elections and Town and Parish Council Elections (every 4 years)