The local council and PCC elections will take place in Reading on Thursday 2 May 2024.
If you’re not yet registered to vote, have moved address, or changed your name, you have until 23:59 on Tuesday 16 April 2024 to do so. The easiest and quickest way is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Residents can contact the Electoral Services Team if they need an application posted at elections@reading.gov.uk or 0118 937 3717.
Last year, the government introduced a new law which means residents have to show photographic ID to be able to vote at polling stations. That requirement continues this year. People who plan to vote in person at a polling station are being asked to check now that they have an accepted form of ID. These include a passport, riving licence/provisional licence, blue badge, certain concessionary travel cards, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card, identity card with Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) mark, biometric immigration document, defence identity card, and certain national identity cards. Voters can use expired ID, as long as they are still recognisable from the photo. A full list of accepted forms of ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website.
Residents who do not have an accepted form of ID can apply online for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) at www.voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk. Residents who need help with applying for a VAC, or prefer to request a paper application form, can contact Electoral Services at elections@reading.gov.uk or call 0118 937 3717. The deadline for applying for a VAC is 5.00pm on Wednesday 24 April 2024.
The deadline to apply for a postal vote for this year’s elections is 17:00 on Wednesday 17 April. For a proxy vote, it is 17:00 on Wednesday 24 April. Residents can find out more at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote or www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote.
From 31 October 2023, absent vote applications for all polls in England, UK Parliamentary elections in Scotland, and UK Parliamentary and PCC elections in Wales, must be verified against Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) data. To apply for a postal vote, residents need to supply their National Insurance number, as well as their name, address, date of birth and signature, so that the council can verify the identity of the person applying for the postal vote. It is important to note that the Council is unable to accept electronic signatures.
Residents requiring further information or clarification contact the Electoral Services team at the Council by phoning 0118 937 3717 or email elections@reading.gov.uk.