Have your say in May – check that you're registered to vote!

Residents who want to have their say in the Derbyshire County Council election in May are being encouraged to check they are registered to vote so they don’t miss the chance.

County council elections are being held on Thursday 1st May and residents will be able to elect councillors for all 64 seats for the first time in four years.

The election will decide who runs the council and represents an estimated 811,500 people living in the county up to 2029.

Since the last county council election in 2021 new boundaries have been introduced by The Local Government Boundary Commission and most people will see a change in the area and name of their usual division (sometimes referred to as a ward).

There is now just one councillor for each division, whereas historically three Derbyshire divisions have had two councillors. 

Residents can find out more about the new electoral divisions at Boundary maps of Derbyshire – Derbyshire Observatory. 

There are more than 629,570 eligible voters in Derbyshire and people who want to vote on 1st May should check if they’re registered to vote now. They can do so by visiting their local district or borough council website, as these councils are responsible for administering the Derbyshire County Council election at a local level on behalf of the authority. 

If residents are not registered to vote they must do so before midnight (by 11.59pm) on Friday 11th April. Residents who are not registered to vote by this time will not be able to cast their vote on election day. 

People can wrongly assume they are registered to vote when they are not for a number of reasons including moving house and assuming they are automatically registered at their new address because they pay council tax. However, the two processes are separate and registering to pay council tax does not mean people are automatically on the electoral register.

Residents who have turned 18 since the last election in their area may not realise that this is their chance to vote for the first time and may not be registered.

As well as going in person to a polling station, there are other ways that people can vote, including by post or by proxy (where a person can nominate someone to vote on their behalf), but they must still be registered to vote even if using either of these methods. 

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Monday 14th April and to apply for a vote by proxy the deadline is 5pm Wednesday 23rd April. 

To vote in England, you now need to show photo ID to vote at polling stations and people can find out what is an accepted form of photo ID.

Those without up-to-date or accepted photo ID can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate to use as ID, and they should apply for this by 5pm on Wednesday 23rd April. 

There is also an opportunity for people to apply for an emergency proxy vote which can be granted in certain circumstances and applied for by contacting the relevant district or borough council where the person lives up until 5pm on polling day.

For more information visit the county council’s website at www.derbyshire.gov.uk/vote or Voting – GOV.UK

Derbyshire County Council Managing Director Emma Alexander said: “Everyone uses services provided by Derbyshire County Council, whether they realise it or not. It could be roads, schools, home care for older or vulnerable people, libraries or waste disposal. That’s why it’s so important for all residents who are eligible to vote to do so and have their say in how Derbyshire is run and how their money is spent.’’ 

Nominations for candidates standing in the election close on Wednesday 2nd April and a full list of all candidates standing will be published on the council’s website by close of play on Thursday 3rd April.

On Thursday 1st May polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm and people who are registered should receive polling cards before the election. Polling cards will tell them where to vote, which may not necessarily be in the same venue they went to in the last elections they voted in. Registered voters who do not receive a polling card will still be able to vote.

The votes will be counted on Friday 2nd May with results announced throughout the day on the county council’s website.