Countdown begins to city council and PCC elections

By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor

The countdown to local elections has begun with polls for Hull City Council and the Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) both set to take place on May 2.

Matt Jukes, city council chief executive and elections returning officer, published the Notice of Election in the Guildhall today for both elections.

The pre-election period is now underway, running until polls close at 10pm on Thursday, May 2.

One seat in 19 out of Hull’s 21 wards is up for election, while Central and Pickering wards do not have local elections this year. Residents in all wards have the opportunity to vote in the PCC election.

Mr Jukes said: “With our local elections fast approaching, I’d like to encourage all residents who aren’t already, to register to vote. In particular, any residents who have moved house, changed their name or turned 18 in the last year will need to register so that they are able to vote.

“It is also important to remind electors that, because of recent national legislation changes, they now need to show acceptable photo ID to vote at a polling station or, of course, you can register for a postal vote.

“These elections are the opportunity for residents to have their say on who represents them on Hull City Council and as our Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner, dealing with decisions and issues that directly affect our day-to-day lives.”

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, April 16. Registration takes about five minutes online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Information on acceptable forms of ID, or what to do if you don’t have a form of ID, is available here.

Pollng cards will be issued to all registered electors in wards with elections from today.

People can choose to vote by post for any reason, including if they cannot get to a polling station on May 2. Applications can be made online: Apply for a postal vote - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

It is also possible to vote by proxy, where a voter can appoint someone they trust to vote on their behalf. Applications can also be made online: Apply for a proxy vote - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Paper application forms for both postal and proxy votes can also be requested from the Electoral Services office by email: electoral.services@hullcc.gov.uk or by phone on 01482 613386.

The deadline for new postal vote applications, or for changes to an existing postal or proxy vote, is 5pm on Wednesday April 17.

The deadline for new proxy vote applications is 5pm on Wednesday, April 24.

More information about elections is available at www.hull.gov.uk/localelections.