Peterborough City Council issues 24,000 postal votes ahead of elections

Residents wishing to vote by post for the May 6 elections have until 5pm today (April 20) to apply for a postal vote.

The deadline to register to vote in the elections themselves has now passed.

The number of people registering for a postal vote has risen by more than 43 per cent compared to the 2019 elections.

For details on how to register for a postal vote today, visit https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/elections/postal-votes

There will be measures in place at ballot stations to ensure the election is COVID safe.

Voters will be asked to:

Wear a face covering

Bring their own pen or pencil

Use hand sanitiser, which will be available in each station, as they enter and leave

Keep a two-metre distance away from others when entering or leaving the polling station.

At each polling venue screens for polling clerks will be set up. Frequent touch points – like door handles and voting booth tables – will be cleaned regularly.

If you are unable to get to the polling station, or do not wish to attend in person, you can also apply for a proxy vote which means that you can appoint someone you trust to vote on your behalf.

In order to vote by proxy, you will need to fill in an application form which clearly shows your signature and date of birth.

The deadline for applying to vote by proxy is six working days (Tuesday 27 April at 5pm) before polling day, although legislation has been introduced to support people affected by Covid-19 by allowing them to apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5pm on 6 May itself.

You can find out more about voting by proxy at https://www.peterborough.gov.uk/council/elections/proxy-votes

The elections will see councillors elected for the following wards: Barnack, Bretton, Central, Dogsthorpe, East, Eye, Thorney & Newborough, Fletton & Stanground, Fletton & Woodston (2 seats), Glinton & Castor, Gunthorpe, Hampton Vale, Hargate & Hempsted, North, Orton Longueville, Orton Waterville, Park, Paston & Walton, Ravensthorpe, Stanground South, Werrington, West and Wittering.