Everything you need to know about voting in Central Bedfordshire

Local and parish elections take place on Thursday, May 4 with the following dates and deadlines to consider so you don’t miss out on casting your vote.

Register to vote

Before you can vote, you need to be registered – you can do this here. It only takes around five minutes and the deadline is midnight on Monday, April 17. If you are already on the electoral role at your current address, you don’t need to re-register. Call 0300 300 8008 to check if you’re unsure.

Want to apply for a postal vote?

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday, April 18. To do this, you must also be registered to vote by 11.59pm on Monday, April 17. You can apply for a postal vote here

Apply for a proxy vote

If you know you won’t be able to get to the polling station, you can ask someone you trust to cast your vote for you. This is called a proxy vote and the person casting your vote is often referred to as your proxy.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Tuesday, April 25. You need to be registered to vote to apply for a proxy vote.

If you nominate a proxy, the person you choose to vote on your behalf will need to show their own photo ID. They will not need to show your ID.

The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling station to cast your vote or can apply to vote for you by post. Find out more about proxy voting here

Bring your ID to the polling station

If you don't already have an accepted form of photo ID, or you're not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for the free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) but you’ll need to do this by 5pm on Tuesday, April 25.

For more information about voting in the 2023 Local Elections visit the website here and the Central Bedfordshire Council website.

When you get your poll card, make sure you are familiar with the polling station, as it may have changed.