Portsmouth people are being urged to have their say in the council elections on Thursday 4 May.
A third of Portsmouth City Council’s seats will be up for re-election – one seat in each of the city’s 14 wards.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm, and the results should be known in the early hours of Friday 5 May.
At these elections, for the first time, voters will have to show photo ID at their polling station. This requirement has been introduced nationally by the government.
The types of photo ID that will be accepted include:
- a passport issued by the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, a British Overseas territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
- a driving licence from the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or an EEA state
- an older person’s bus pass
- a disabled person’s bus pass
- a blue parking badge
- an ID card with a Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (PASS card)
- an MoD Form 90 (defence identity card)
See a full list of accepted ID.
ID that has expired, or which has a different address on it, can be used, as long as staff at the polling station have confirmed it still looks like you.
If you want your identity to be checked in private, please ask staff. Male and female staff will be available.
Anyone acting as a proxy for another voter will need to show photo ID. The identity document should belong to the proxy, not the person on whose behalf the proxy is voting.
If you’re registered to vote you’ll have been sent a poll card. This will tell you where your polling station is, along with other election information.
If you don’t know where to vote, please use this online checker.
It’s not necessary to take your poll card with you to the polling station. Poll cards don’t count as ID.
Deadlines for applying for postal or proxy votes, or for a free ID certificate, have now passed.
However, if you have a medical emergency, are away for work, or your photo ID is lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5pm on polling day.