Have your say in the local elections on 5 May

Released:

From today, Friday 25 March, poll cards are being delivered to voters in Solihull for the local elections on Thursday 5 May. Polling stations will be open on the day from 7am – 10pm.

Residents who wish to vote and aren’t already registered to do so must register by 14 April. People who receive a poll card are registered and don’t need to re-register.

For those who would rather not vote in person or won’t be around on 5 May, they can apply for a postal or proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 19 April, and to apply to vote by proxy the deadline is 5pm on Tuesday 26 April.

The first batch of postal votes will be despatched on 14 April, and the second batch will be despatched on 25 April.

The local elections give voters the opportunity to vote for a Councillor for the ward they live in. There are 17 wards in Solihull and this year one new Councillor will be voted in for each ward, so that there are three councillors in total representing each ward. A list of candidates will be available on the Council website at 4pm on Wednesday 6 April.

The elections team is working hard to ensure that all polling stations are safe and COVID-19 secure. Voters are encouraged to wear a mask when inside the polling station and bring their own pen or pencil. Masks and sanitiser will be available at each polling station.

Residents who are self-isolating due to COVID-19 and miss the deadline to vote by proxy, you can apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day, 5 May.

Register to vote here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote