Carlisle voters – make sure you can vote on 5 May

(Date of issue: Wednesday, 16 March 2011)

Maggie Mooney, Returning Officer and Counting Officer for Carlisle, is advising residents that they need to act now if they are to have their say at the Local Elections and UK Referendum on the voting system to the UK Parliament taking place on Thursday 5 May.

The deadline to register to vote in time for the Local Election and UK Referendum is midnight on Thursday 14 April 2011. The deadline for new postal vote applications or changes to existing Postal or Proxy applications is 5pm on Thursday, 14 April 2011. The close of applications to vote by Proxy is 5pm on Thursday, 21 April 2011.

Figures show that 84,952 people have already registered to vote in the Carlisle City Council area.

Maggie Mooney, Returning Officer and Counting Officer for Carlisle, said:

”Anyone who has moved house in the past few months needs to register with their new address and we know there are many people in Carlisle who have not yet registered to vote, which means they will be missing out unless they take action.”

Residents can request a registration form by calling Carlisle City Council’s Electoral Services Section on 01228 817555 or 817556 or by printing off a registration form from the City Council website www.carlisle.gov.uk or from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.

Barbara Lines spokesperson from the Electoral Commission, the independent elections watchdog, adds: “Residents may also be planning to be away on 5 May, given the extra Bank Holiday for the Royal Wedding. So it’s worth applying now to vote by post or proxy if that will suit your plans. You can print off the forms from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. It just takes a few minutes, and then you are all set for 5 May.”