Elections

The next scheduled local elections will take place on Thursday, 6 May, 2021. 

There will be elections for:

·       Cannock Chase District Council (13 seats);

·       Staffordshire Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner;

·       Staffordshire County Council (7 seats);

·       Rugeley Town Council By-Election.

Key dates and deadlines for the elections taking place on Thursday, 6 May 2021

Statutory timetable for the above election

Voting in person

You can vote in person at your allocated polling station. Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. If there is a queue you will still be able to vote as long as you joined the queue before 10pm.

Poll cards are delivered shortly before an Election. Each member of the household who is eligible to vote should receive a poll card which informs them of the date of the election, where their polling station is and the hours of poll. 
 

You do not need to take the poll card with you to be able to vote.

• On arrival at your designated polling station, the Presiding Officer will ask you to confirm your name and address and will issue you with a ballot paper for the election(s) you are entitled to vote in.
• You should take the ballot paper(s) to the voting booth and mark with a 'X' the candidate(s) you wish to vote for in accordance with the instructions on the ballot paper.
• Fold the ballot paper(s) and deposit in the ballot box as indicated.
   

Covid-19 Information

These will be the first elections taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic.

During this time, we are making provisions to ensure that voting at polling stations will be as safe as possible. We are working hard with Central Government, the Electoral Commission and the wider electoral community and public health authorities to help ensure you stay safe when casting your vote in May.

Covid-secure arrangements will apply at polling stations. Social distancing must be observed and this may limit how many people are allowed inside the polling station at a time.

• When you go inside, you must wear a face covering like you do in shops or on public transport, unless you are exempt from doing so.
• Hand sanitiser will be available. You should sanitise your hands when you go into the polling station and when you leave.. 
• The staff will be wearing masks and visors, like staff in shops,
• Polling station staff will be cleaning regularly, so you might need to wait for a booth to be cleaned before you can use it.
• You are welcome to take your own pen or pencil with you if you would like to. Clean pencils will be available.
• Where possible, polling places will have a one-way system, so be prepared to follow the signage and any instructions.
• You can still ask staff for help if you need it.

If you cannot or do not want to go to the polling station, you can vote by post or nominate someone to act as your proxy.

Voting by post

You can apply for a postal vote at any time. To vote by post, you need to complete a postal vote application form.

www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote

Once you have completed the form and made sure you have signed you can either:

• email a scanned image of the completed form or a clear photograph, showing a full page, to electionsoffice@cannockchasedc.gov.uk  or
• post the completed form to: Elections Office, Cannock Chase District Council, Civic Centre, Beecroft Road, Cannock, Staffordshire  WS11 1BG 

For the elections on 6 May, 2021, we must receive your completed postal vote application no later than 5pm on Tuesday, 20 April, 2021.

The date the Postal Votes are dispatched varies from election to election and if you are applying for a Postal Vote because you are going away, we strongly advise you to contact the office early to clarify dates.

When a postal vote has been posted to you, you cannot vote in person at a polling station.

You can choose on the application form to vote at a one-off election or vote by post on a permanent basis.

If you move house you must notify the Elections Office as soon as possible or you won’t receive your postal vote at your new address.

Remember to apply for your postal vote as soon as you can. If there is an election during any year there will be a deadline date for new applications, this is normally 11 working days before an election. This deadline date will also apply to changes / cancellation of / amended or redirected postal vote papers.

You must be able to sign your name to vote by post. If you are unable to sign you need to request a Postal Vote Waiver application. Power of attorney does not apply to postal voting.

To prevent fraudulent voting, all postal votes are subject to signature checking. When you make an application to vote by post you will be asked to provide a specimen signature and your date of birth. This information will be required on a security statement on all returned ballot papers and will be checked against our records. If someone who is not the elector signs a postal vote statement, it will be rejected, even if that person has power of attorney.
 

Voting by proxy (someone voting on your behalf)

If you will be away from home and will not be able vote in person or be able to receive your postal ballot paper you may prefer to appoint someone on your behalf using a Proxy Vote. This person does not need to be a relative, just someone you know and trust. That person will receive a letter to hand into your polling station and that will enable them to vote on your behalf.

Please note a proxy cannot vote for more than two people at any one election, unless they are a close relative and they must be eligible to vote in that type of election.

You can find out more about proxy voting here 

There are different application forms depending on whether you want to nominate a proxy for a specific election; longer term; or as a result of an emergency. 

Links to the different proxy forms can also be found on this page

Once you have completed the form and made sure you have signed you can either :

• email a scanned image of the completed form or a clear photograph, showing a full page, to electionsoffice@cannockchasedc.gov.uk ; or
• post the completed form to: Elections Office, Cannock Chase District Council, Civic Centre, Beecroft Road, Cannock, Staffordshire WS11 1BG

The deadline to apply to vote by proxy is normally 6 working days before an election.

For the elections on 6 May, 2021, we must receive your completed proxy vote application no later than 5pm on Tuesday, 27 April, 2021.

Please note that the deadline for a postal-proxy (where your appointed proxy wishes to vote by post) is Tuesday 20 April.
 

Emergency proxy vote

In certain circumstances, where you have an emergency that means you cannot vote in person, you can apply for an emergency proxy.

This must be something that you weren't aware of before the normal proxy vote deadline.

The form you need to complete depends on your reason for needing an emergency proxy vote.

Emergency proxy application (medical)

Emergency proxy application (employment)

Once you have completed the relevant form and made sure you have signed it you can either :

• email a scanned image of the completed form or a clear photograph, showing a full page, to electionsoffice@cannockchasedc.gov.uk ; or
• post the completed form to: Elections Office, Cannock Chase District Council, Civic Centre, Beecroft Road, Cannock, Staffordshire  WS11 1BG 

Your completed emergency proxy application must be received by us no later than 5pm on polling day.

If you are not sure if you have a postal vote or proxy vote already, contact the Electoral Services Office.
 

Overseas Voters - British Citizens living overseas

If you are a British citizen living abroad, you can apply to be an overseas voter. As long as you were registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years, you can register to vote from overseas. If you were too young to register when you left the UK, your parent or guardian must have been registered.

You can find more information about standing as a local government election candidate on the Electoral Commission website.

A briefing has been scheduled to help prepare prospective candidates who wish to stand as a District or County councillor at the forthcoming elections on Thursday, 6 May, 2021. As well as informing candidates and their agents on matters that will affect their campaign, it will also be a chance for them to ask questions of the Electoral Services Team.

The candidates and agents briefing will take place virtually, using Zoom at 5pm on Tuesday, 16 March, 2021. If you would like to attend, we will require an e-mail address to send a Zoom meeting invitation.

Please email Electoral Services electionsoffice@cannockchasedc.gov.uk  or call 01543 464437 or 464754 (main switchboard 01543 462621) no later than 5pm on Monday, 15 March, 2021.

For more information about becoming a County Councillor please visit: Elections and democracy - Staffordshire County Council

The links below will be available shortly after the briefing has taken place.

• Candidates & Agents Presentation
• Information Pack for Candidates and Agents
• Nomination Papers

Information packs and nominations papers can also be viewed / downloaded from the Electoral Commission website:

Nominations will be received between the hours of 10am and 4pm on weekdays commencing Tuesday, 23 March and closing at 4pm on Thursday, 8 April.

Election Notices - will be here when published

2019

• General Election - 12 December 2019
• European Parliamentary Election - 23 May 2019
• District Council Elections - 2 May 2019
• Parish and Town Council Elections - 2 May 2019

2018

• Hednesford Neighbourhood Plan Referendum October 2018
• Rugeley Town Council By- Election 30 August 2018
• District Council Elections - 3 May 2018

2017

• Cannock Chase District Council By-Election 7 September 2017
• County Council By-Election 7 September 2017
• General Election - 8 June 2017
• County Council Elections - 4 May 2017

2016

• EU Referendum - 23 June 2016
• Police and Crime Commissioner Election - 5 May 2016
• District Council Elections - 5 May 2016
• Parish Elections 5th May 2016