Your vote matters
News release issued:
Registered electors are being encouraged to use their vote and take part in the local elections being held next week (Thursday 2 May).
In the Wyre Forest district, there are elections taking place for Kidderminster Town Council and the Police and Crime Commissioner for West Mercia. All eligible voters will have received their polling cards or voter pack for postal votes by now. Details about the candidates standing for election are available on our website.
The polling stations are open from 7am till 10pm on election day, and voters are reminded they must use the polling station named on their polling card.
Anyone voting in a polling station must take a valid photo ID. Various forms of photo ID are accepted, including a driving licence, passport, Older Person’s Bus Pass, a blue badge or Disabled Person’s Bus Pass. Details of what photo ID will be accepted are available on our website.
People who are registered to vote by post can't vote in person at a polling station and are reminded to send back their completed ballot pack in a Royal Mail letter box as soon as possible. Postal votes need to be received by the council by 10 pm on Thursday 2 May. If it arrives later than this, it won’t be counted.
So far almost 45 per cent of postal voters have returned their ballot pack.
If it is too late to send a completed postal vote, the completed pack, sealed in the return envelope, can be taken to the elector’s local polling station by 10pm. They will also be required to fill in a form. More details about the changes to handing in postal votes can be found on our website.
Ian Miller, Returning Officer for Wyre Forest said:
“We want everyone to be able to exercise their right to vote and urge people to remember to take their photo ID with them when they go to their polling station. We have also been encouraging postal voters to send their ballot packs back in a red Royal Mail post box as soon as possible. By posting it they will avoid having to complete a declaration form at the polling station.”