Get ready to vote in the council elections

North Devon Council is reminding local residents to get ready to vote, as plans for council elections get underway.

From Monday (14 March), poll cards will be sent out to residents across the district who are eligible to vote. Anyone who is aged 18 or over will be able to vote on election day. Anyone who hasn’t yet registered on the electoral role has until 14 April to do so or risk losing their chance to vote.

In May, residents will be voting in local parish and district council elections as well as the national referendum on the alternative voting system. 

Electoral Services Officer at North Devon Council Judith Dark says: “We don’t want any North Devon resident who wants to vote to be turned away on the day so make sure you are registered. In past elections we have received a number of calls on the day from people who have gone to a polling station only to find that they cannot vote.

“Anybody who can’t make it to the polling station should talk to a member of the elections team who can discuss the alternatives that are available to them so that they can still have their say.”

Absent votes are available from the council for people who can’t make it to the polling station. Applications can be made for a postal vote or for someone else to vote on their behalf, known as a proxy vote. The two can also be combined so someone completing a proxy vote can also do this by post.

For more information about registering to vote or applying for an absent vote please contact the elections team at the council on 01271 388277 or email elections@northdevon.gov.uk. Information about the elections and voting can also be found on the council website www.northdevon.gov.uk/elections