Newark & Sherwood District Council

If your name appears on the Register of Electors you will receive a poll card prior to an election advising you of the date, where your polling station is and the times of when you can vote. You do not need this card to vote, however, it may help the staff at the polling station to check your details.

Postal voting

You can choose to vote by post if you are unable to attend your polling station. You must complete a postal vote application form. Applications can be for all elections, specific elections or for a specified period of time.

If you wish to apply for a postal vote for a forthcoming election applications must be returned by the date indicated on your poll card.

Postal ballot papers can be sent to your home address or any other address you specify. Please remember that if you would like your postal vote sending overseas, then you must consider whether there would be enough time to receive the ballot paper and return it before the close of poll on the day of the election.

Proxy voting

You can appoint a proxy (someone to vote on your behalf) if you are unable to attend your polling station. You must complete a proxy vote application form. Applications can be for all elections, specific elections or for a specified period of time.

If you wish to apply to appoint a proxy for a forthcoming election applications must be returned by the date indicated on your poll card. You would need to inform your proxy how you wish to vote. The person acting as your proxy would vote at your usual polling station.

You could still vote in person, providing that your proxy had not already voted on your behalf. If your proxy cannot vote at your usual polling station, they can apply to vote as a postal-proxy. If so, you will not be able to vote in person at your polling station.

New legislation came into force in 2007 requiring Absent Voters (i.e. those who vote by post) to provide a signature and date of birth (personal identifiers) when they first apply. Your personal identifiers are always kept separate from your ballot paper, so no-one knows how you have voted. When you are sent a postal ballot paper, you provide your date of birth and signature again so they can be matched against those that you gave us when you applied. This helps to ensure that no-one else is using your vote. If they do not match, your vote cannot be counted.

An important part of these security measures is providing a fresh specimen signature every 5 years. The legislation requires the Electoral Registration Officer to carry out an annual refresh of signatures by 31 January of every person who remains an absent voter and whose signature is more than five years old.

When you receive this important information about your absent vote, please read it carefully and respond as soon as possible. If you do not respond in 3 weeks the law say that you must be sent a reminder and this will cost the council money.

If you fail to respond within 6 weeks of the date of the first letter, your existing absent vote will be cancelled and you will have to vote in person or make a new application.

If you no longer want to vote an absent vote, please contact us to cancel it in order to avoid any unnecessary reminders.

UK Parliamentary Elections are due to be held every five years from 2010.

European Parliamentary Elections are due to be held every five years from 2009.

County Council Elections are due to be held every four years from 2009.

District Council Elections are due to be held every four years from 2011.

Parish/Town Council Elections are due to be held every four years from 2011 in combination with District Council elections.

By –elections can take place at any time (new information will be provided when appropriate).