Sefton Council has issued a warning to residents looking to vote in May’s elections as new changes are set to come into force.
Under new legislation, voters will now need to bring photo ID with them to vote in person in elections, a situation councillors in Sefton have previously discussed as a risk of putting people off voting.
In a bid to encourage more people to be able to cast their votes, Sefton Council has now warned residents to ensure they have the right form of photograph ID, as not all will be accepted.
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Driving licence and passports are allowed, as are 20 other different forms of ID including older people and disabled person’s bus passes – although there are some types, such as the Merseytravel 60+ card, which are not valid.
A Sefton Council spokesperson urged people to register for a Voter Authority Certificate if they do not have the ID required to vote.
At a meeting of the borough’s overview and scrutiny committee in November, Sefton Council’s election manager Neil Middlehurst warned that between two and six per cent of the electorate might not have the right ID to vote and would instead need to apply for the certificate, with fears the new rules could place additional burdens on already pressured election staff.
One councillor, Nina Killen, spoke of her “sadness” at the implementation of the new rules, while others expressed alarm it could risk putting people off casting their ballots.
Encouraging people to prepare now ahead of the elections, Sefton Council’s Cabinet Member for Regulatory, Compliance and Corporate Resources, Cllr Paulette Lappin, said she was keen to ensure people “don’t miss out” on the right to vote.
Cllr Lappin said: “That’s why we are running our high-profile IDeal Time campaign to highlight what they need to do and by when they need to do it.
“Anyone without a valid photo ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate up to six working days before the elections on
Thursday, May 4th.
“And the cut-off date for registering to vote is Thursday April 13th, and the deadline for receipt of all postal vote applications is Tuesday, April 18th.”
Cllr Lappin continued: “Our teams are already working extremely hard to ensure everything is in place to meet the new requirements, but this is the time for voters across Sefton to make sure they are prepared too so we are not forced to turn anyone away on May 4th.”
For more information about the upcoming elections and rule changes please visit www.sefton.gov.uk/elections.
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