Voters urged to register to have their say in May elections
Published: 16 March 2022
People in Exeter are being urged to make sure they are registered to take part in the City Council elections on 5 May.
In order to vote in May, residents must be on the electoral register. With the deadline to register to vote fast approaching, Exeter City Council is urging people who are not registered at their current address to make sure they are registered in time.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Thursday 14 April. It takes just five minutes to apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote
This year residents in Exeter will be voting to elect 13 City Councillors in all 13 wards across the City.
A total of 55 polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm on 5 May.
John Street, Exeter City Council’s Returning Officer, said: “Time is running out to make sure people can take part in these elections. Elections are an important opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who represents you on issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in Exeter. If you’re not registered by 14 April, you won’t be able to vote.”
Ailsa Irvine, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance at the Electoral Commission, said:
“You can’t have your say in these elections unless you are registered to vote. Registering is easy and only takes five minutes.
“If you have recently turned 18 or moved home, it is particularly important to make sure you are correctly registered to vote.
“If you were registered to vote in the last election and your details have not changed, you don’t need to take any action. If in doubt, you can check with your local authority on 01392 265141.”
People can choose to vote in a number of ways – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.
The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 19 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 26 April.
For information on elections in Exeter, how to register to vote, or how to apply to vote by post or by proxy, voters can visit www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter. This page will continue to be updated ahead of the polls.