Published: Monday 04th March 2024 | 9.33am
Residents are reminded of some important deadlines/changes as the local elections will take place on Thursday 2 May.
Voters in Cannock Chase will go to the polls to elect Councillors to all 12 of its electoral wards and all 36 seats, there will also be an election for the Staffordshire Police, Fire, and Crime Commissioner
Following a boundary review, there have been changes to every ward in Cannock Chase District, with the exception of Norton Canes, some boundaries are different and there are some new ward names. These changes have resulted in a reduction of wards from 15 to 12 and Councillors from 41 to 36. There will be three Councillors per ward from May’s elections. You can view the new boundaries here: https://www.lgbce.org.uk/all-reviews/cannock-chase
As a result of the boundary changes, there have also been changes to some polling stations. Poll cards will be sent to residents in March advising of the ward they are eligible to vote in and their polling station.
Only people who are registered will be able to vote on 2 May, if you have moved or changed your name to will need to register to vote again. Registering is easy and you can apply online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote in just a few minutes. All you will need your date of birth and national insurance number. The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday 16 April.
Residents must also ensure that they have a valid form of photo ID if they plan to vote in person. To find out what photo ID is accepted or to apply for photo ID click here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id
The deadline to apply for photo ID is Wednesday 24 April.
If you know that you won’t be able to get to the polling station this May, you can ask someone to cast your vote on your behalf. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April. Find out more here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote
There have been some changes to applying for postal votes s this year There is more information about the changes here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/apply-vote-post
If you want to vote by post, you must apply no later than 5pm on Wednesday 17 April you can apply to vote by post here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
Anyone planning to stand as a candidate at the local elections or act as an agent is invited to a briefing on Thursday 21 March at 6pm, in the Council Chamber at the Civic Centre.
Chris Forrester Returning Officer for Cannock Chase, said “There are some important deadlines looming if you want to have your say in the local elections this May. If you aren’t registered or don’t have a valid photo ID, you won’t be able to vote.
“Paper forms are also available for those not wishing to register via the internet. Our Electoral Services team will be happy to help, please call them on 01543 464754.”