Voter ID needed for council elections

New Government rules mean residents wanting to vote in the forthcoming local council elections will need to show photographic identification at polling stations.

The new national voter identification requirement comes into place for the May elections across the borough and beyond.

A spokesman for Stafford Borough Council said: “It will mean anyone turning up to vote at a polling station will need to show identification - with a list of accepted forms of ID listed on the Electoral Commission website.

“They include a UK passport, Driving Licence, or disabled blue badge and you can find the full list from www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-ama/voter/voter-id.

“If people do not have any of the accepted identification they can apply for a free ‘Voter Authority Certificate’ at www.gov.uk/apply-forphoto-id-voter-authority-certificate. The last day to apply is 5pm on Thursday, April 25.”

The spokesman continued: “Forty seats on Stafford Borough Council will be up for grabs in the 23 wards that make up the electoral area. And there will also be a number of polls taking place for seats on parish councils in the borough.

“There are more than 100,000 registered voters in the borough who will have the opportunity to vote on who they would like to see running the local authority.

“The borough council delivers a range of functions for the public such as the household waste and recycling collection, street cleaning, maintaining parks and open spaces, as well as bereavement and planning services.”

To find out if you are on the electoral register to be eligible to vote contact elections@staffordbc.gov.uk - or to register to vote go to www.staffordbc.gov.uk/how-do-youregister-to-vote.