Local Elections 2013: Register to Vote - deadline 17th April

Local elections are taking place on Thursday 2 May 2013 in local authorities and county councils in many parts of the country. These local elections are a vital part of local democracy because local councils have decision-making responsibilties over many services which are part of our everyday lives – transport, libraries, community and youth centres, schooling and employment.

The upcoming elections are a very powerful tool to ensure that your concerns and issues are reflected in the decisions made in your area. With a myriad of social justice issues facing BME communities, BME youth unemployment as high as 50% to disproportionate use of stop and search, it is incumbent that we engage and influence the local decision-making bodies.

We must realise that our future rests in our hands and voting is the best way to secure that future.

Find out how to register to vote. Samantha Mills, Head of Campaigns at the Electoral Commission has more information:

Where are the elections taking place?

This year, voters across large parts of England, from Essex in the South East to Cumbria in the North West will have the chance to cast their vote at local elections. There are also elections in Anglesey in Wales.

You can see if the area where you live is holding elections by visiting: http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/elections

What’s the deadline to register?

Wednesday 17 April.

Can I take part?

You can register to vote if you’re:

• 16 or over, although you can’t actually vote until you’re 18
• A British, Commonwealth or EU citizen

How do I register?

It’s easy and only takes a couple of minutes to do.

• Visit our website, www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
• Enter your postcode. This will automatically bring up a registration form with the address of your local electoral registration office already inserted.
• Print off the form, fill in your details, sign and send it to the address that’s at the top of the form

I pay council tax. Does that mean I’m automatically registered to vote?

No. This is a common misconception. In order take part in elections, you must complete and return an electoral registration form.

I’m not sure if I’ll be able to go to a polling station to vote. Are there any other ways I could vote?

Yes. You can apply to vote by post. If you choose to do that you will get your postal ballot paper around a week before 2 May. Make sure you post it back in good time. It must be received by the Returning Officer by 10pm on 2 May in order for it to count. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm, Wednesday 17 April.

You can also choose to appoint a trusted person to vote on your behalf. This is known as a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm, Wednesday 24 April.

There’s lots more information about these different ways of casting your vote on our website – www.aboutmyvote.co.uk .

You can help us spread the word:

· Share our Youtube video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNqXvd4ywqU&feature=youtu.be

· Share or like Facebook’s Democracy UK page – they’re helping us by encouraging people to register - https://www.facebook.com/democracyuk

The deadline to register to vote is Wednesday 17 April.

It’s your vote, don’t lose it!