Oxfordshire decides on 1 May – be aware of 23 April deadline
Voters in Oxfordshire are being reminded that if they want to appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf or apply for free photographic ID, they need to submit their application by 5pm on Wednesday 23 April.
Oxfordshire County Council polls take place on Thursday, 1 May, with all 69 seats up for election.
The count is scheduled to take place the day after voting, Friday, 2 May, at the Vale of White Horse Leisure Centre in Abingdon. The count will be livestreamed, and individual results will appear on the council’s website and social media.
A person can get someone else to vote on their behalf (a proxy) if they cannot go to the polling station in person. Both people must be registered to vote in the UK to apply.
Meanwhile, everyone registered to vote will need acceptable photographic ID at polling stations. For those who do not have one of the accepted examples, they can apply for free photographic ID to use at a polling station. Applications to appoint a proxy or apply for ID must be made by 5 pm on Wednesday, 23 April.
The same deadline applies for anyone who wants to register to vote anonymously. This is for people who believe that their safety, or that of someone in their household, could be affected by having their name and address listed on the electoral register.
Martin Reeves, Chief Executive of Oxfordshire County Council and Returning Officer, said: “With the Easter break on the horizon, it’s important to flag that 23 April is the final deadline for getting everyone set to vote before the big day on 1 May. We have already seen deadlines pass for voter registration and postal votes.
“When you vote, you're having a direct say in decisions that affect your communities and those around you. The people you vote for will be making decisions about where the county council’s budget will be spent.
“If you know you will be absent from the county on the day of the poll, suffering from ill health or for whatever reason can’t make it yourself to a polling station, now is the time to act. Voting by proxy, asking a trusted person to cast your vote for you, is another method through which you can exercise your democratic right to have your say. But you need to apply to vote in this way and be aware that there is a limit to the amount of people someone can be a proxy for.
“Alternatively, if you are planning to vote at a polling station, you will need acceptable photo ID. Please do check you have acceptable ID now as the deadline to apply for it is fast approaching.”
Oxfordshire County Council provides 85 per cent of local government services in Oxfordshire, such as social care for adults and children, highway maintenance, libraries, fire and rescue, trading standards, registration services, waste disposal, public health, and others.
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