Manchester electors are being reminded what they will need to do to have their say in two important sets of elections which take place on Thursday 2 May 2024.
Along with voters in the other nine areas of the city-region, they will have the chance to choose who should be elected Mayor of Greater Manchester while local elections to Manchester City Council will decide who represents their local area on the council.
In total, 33 of the council’s 96 seats are up for election – one in each of the city’s wards plus an additional vacancy in Didsbury East due to a councillor whose term had not yet expired standing down.
To be able to vote, you must be on the electoral register. If you are not already registered, you can apply at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote The deadline for registration applications is Tuesday 16 April.
Since last year it has also been a national requirement that electors have to show photo ID to vote at a polling station.
When they arrive at the polling station they will be asked their name and address, as it appears on the electoral register, and you must prove who they are by showing acceptable photo ID which includes a passport (issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, a European Economic Area state or a Commonwealth country), a driving licence (issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Ise of Man, or an European Economic Area state), a parking blue badge issued by the Council or other acceptable ID. A full list of acceptable photo ID can be found at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID
It doesn’t matter if the Photo ID is out of date as long as the photo is still a good likeness of the elector.
If you don’t have any of these forms of accepted photo ID – or if the photo on your ID doesn’t look like you any more - you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
The deadline to apply for this, in order to be able to use it in the 2 May elections, is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April.
Contact the council if you need help with your application or want a paper form.
If you’ve changed your name and the name on your Photo ID is different to your name on the electoral register, you can take a document – such as a marriage certificate – with you to prove the name change.
Anyone wanting to vote by post can now apply online for a postal vote by visiting www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote as long as they are already on the electoral register.
Paper application forms are still available and further details of how to apply can be found at https://www.manchester.gov.uk/elections
Postal voters do not need photo ID. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Wednesday 17 April.
Joanne Roney CBE, Returning Officer for Manchester, said: “With two sets of elections this year, we really don’t want anyone who wishes to have their democratic say to miss out because they don’t have the right photo ID, or have left it too late to register.
“There are simple steps electors can take now, if they need to, to make sure they can vote in the Greater Manchester Mayoral and Manchester City Council elections. I’d encourage them to do so.”
Counting for the Manchester City Council elections will take place on Friday 3 May and for the Greater Manchester Mayoral elections on Saturday 4 May.