People across the West of England are being encouraged to check whether they are registered to vote ahead of the upcoming Mayoral election in May.
People across the region will be able to have their say on who they want to be the next Metro Mayor on Thursday 1st May, with voting possible in person, by post, or by proxy.
The deadline to register to vote or update your details is midnight on Friday 11th April.
A West of England Mayoral Combined Authority spokesperson said: “Registered voters across the region will have the opportunity to elect the next Mayor of the West of England on 1st May 2025.
“The Mayoral Combined Authority plays a key role in the West of England, including areas such as transport, skills, the environment, planning and housing, and business support.
“It’s important that anyone who wants their say in the future of the region is registered to vote by 11th April to make your vote count in the election on 1st May. Visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
“The need to present ID as part of the voting process is still relatively new and so we are looking to encourage everyone to remember the need to bring ID with you to vote, and to signpost people to where they can learn more about what forms of ID are accepted.
“If you are unsure that you have the right form of ID, please go online to check today: www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need.”
You can register to vote by visiting the government website and following the simple online steps. If you are unable to go online to register to vote, update your details, or check photo ID requirements then contact the local electoral service office via 01225 477333.
To be eligible, you must meet the requirements set out for voting in a local government election in England.
The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station was introduced by the Elections Act (2022) and came into effect for the first time in May 2023.
Voters will need to show valid photo identification (ID) to vote in the upcoming election on 1st May. Residents across the region are being urged to make sure they are ready to vote at a polling station by checking they have an accepted form of ID.
Accepted forms of ID include: a UK, European Economic Area (EEA), or Commonwealth passport; driving licence (including provisional driving licence); and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or disabled person’s bus pass.
Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID will be able to apply for free ID online or by completing a paper form. The full list of accepted ID can be found online along with more information about the new requirement and links to how to apply for the free ID.
The government has announced plans to extend the list of approved photo ID to include the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card in time for the election on 1st May. The deadline to apply for a free ID for the 1st May election is Wednesday 23rd April at 5pm. Voters will only be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.
Those who cannot or choose not to vote in a polling station can opt to register to vote 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 Monday 14th April. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 23rd April.
