Election timetable is under way
With the local district, town and parish elections just five weeks away, there is some important information to be aware of.
Monday 20 March sees the publication of Notice of Election and on Tuesday 21 March, those thinking about standing for election can deliver their nomination papers to the Returning Officer at Arun District Council.
Completed nominations must be hand delivered, addressed to the Returning Officer at Arun Civic Centre, Maltravers Road, Littlehampton, BN17 5LF, no later than 4pm on Tuesday 4 April 2023. We encourage candidates to submit their nominations as soon as possible to avoid the last minute rush and enable the administrative process to run as efficiently as possible.
We are not offering an appointment system for information checks, but we are asking candidates to scan and send a copy of their completed nomination papers to nominations@arun.gov.uk. We can then check them and respond with any amendments before formal hand delivery takes place.
Residents will soon see poll cards hitting their door mats as delivery begins on 20 March and we urge the public to check their polling station details carefully as their station may have changed.
This year, voters must show valid photo ID when they vote at a polling station, and you can find out which forms of ID are accepted here. How to vote : Photo ID you'll need - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If voters don’t have valid ID, they can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate Apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). We will be holding outreach sessions for the public across the district, to attend if they need help with this process. Voter photo ID | Arun District Council
Returning officer for the Arun District said:
“Making sure you able to vote in these elections is vital, and these days, it is the public’s personal responsibility to ensure they have registered, and that they have the correct photo ID. Checking if they are registered, taking steps to register and turning up to the polling stations with their ID means the difference between being able to vote or not.”
To make sure that you are able to vote, visit the Arun District Council website at https://www.arun.gov.uk/registration. You can either follow the links there to register online, or to request a registration form. To be able to vote in this election you must make sure that your registration application is received by Arun District Council’s Electoral Registration Officer by 17 April at the latest. If you have received a poll card, you do not need to re-register.
Rather than voting at a polling station, voters can choose to vote by a post, for which no photo ID is needed, or a proxy vote. If choosing to vote by proxy, the chosen proxy must have photo ID.
For those planning to use a postal vote, applications must be received before 5pm on 18 April. Your postal pack will be sent first class on 18 April if applied for by 30 March, or 24 April if applied for between 31 March and the deadline of 18 April.
If you are going to be away when we send the postal pack out to you, we can send it to your holiday/work destination (we just need you to let us know the address). Alternatively, you can apply for someone to vote on your behalf as your proxy. Please call our helpline on 01903 737616 for further details.