Make your voice heard and register to vote in upcoming Chichester District Council elections
Residents of Chichester District are being reminded to register to vote and ensure their voice is heard in this May’s local elections. Voters will be able to have their say at the ballot box on Thursday 2 May and elect a councillor for every ward in the Chichester District. Parish council elections are also taking place. Following a boundary review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, this year’s elections will be the first with 36 seats, a reduction from 48 in the last election in 2015.
Registering only takes five minutes, and can be done online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
“Make sure your voice is heard this election and register to vote before Friday 12 April 2019,” says Diane Shepherd, Chief Executive Officer and Returning Officer at Chichester District Council. “Councillors make hundreds of important decisions about how your local council services are run each year and are responsible for over 80 different services, many of which impact your life every day.
“It’s especially important to remember to register to vote if you have just turned 18, or if you have moved house recently.”
Anyone who is unable to register online or who may need extra help registering can contact the council’s Elections team to request a form or for other support, by calling 01243 521010 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Residents who will be unable to get to a polling station on Thursday 2 May are also able to apply to vote by post or proxy by contacting the council’s Elections team on the details above or by visiting www.yourvotematters.co.uk.
Voting by proxy means that a nominated person can vote on someone else’s behalf, if they are unable to vote on the day of the election. This could be because they have a disability that makes it difficult to do so, or if they are working on the day. The deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on Monday, 15 April and to vote by proxy, it is 5pm Wednesday 24 April.
More information about the upcoming elections is available at www.chichester.gov.uk/elections.
Remember, to vote in the District and Parish Council elections you must be:
- registered to vote
- 18 years old or over on polling day; and
- also be one of the following: a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the European Union; a resident in the UK; and not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote
The following cannot vote in a council election:
- anyone other than British, qualifying Commonwealth or European Union citizens
- convicted persons detained in pursuance of their sentences, excluding contempt of court (though remand prisoners, unconvicted prisoners and civil prisoners can vote if they are on the electoral register)
- anyone found guilty within the previous five years of corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election; and
- anyone registered as an overseas voter
We are planning an Open Garden Event on the 16th June to help raise funds for the Bluebell Hub and would like to ask anyone interested in opening their garden, however big or smal, or wishing to help with the gardens or teas to contact us.
