Coronavirus (COVID-19)
England is at Step One of the roadmap out of lockdown. Restrictions are still in place.
Frequently Asked Questions – Local Elections 2021
On Thursday 6 May 2021, residents in Portsmouth will go to the polls to have their say on who represents them at the City Council and Police & Crime Commissioner elections.
The elections will take place at a time when Covid-19 continues to present risks to public health. Depending on the infection rate, measures taken to control the spread of the virus may change as we approach May. This means we cannot currently answer all the questions you may have about how the election will be run. However, we are working hard with the Electoral Commission, the wider electoral community and public health authorities to help ensure you can stay safe when casting your vote in May. You can find more details about this election on our Local Elections 2021 page.
We will update this page with more information as it becomes available. Further information can also be found on the website of the Electoral Commission .
This page was last updated on 6 January 2021.
Frequently asked questions
On Thursday 6 May, residents in Portsmouth will be voting for one Councillor in each of the City’s 14 wards in the City Council elections plus the Police & Crime Commissioner for Hampshire.
There are a number of ways to have your say in May:
- you can vote in a polling station
- you can vote by post, or
- by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, known as a proxy vote.
To vote in the elections – either at a polling station, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf as your proxy – you must first be registered to vote. You can do this online in just 5 minutes. on the government website
If you’re unable to register online, you can apply by post.
Vote by post
To then apply to vote by post you need to download, print and fill in a postal vote application form. Once you have completed the form and signed it, you need to send it to:
Electoral Registration Officer,
Civic Offices,
Guildhall Square,
Portsmouth,
PO1 2QR
If you’re thinking about voting by post, you can apply to do this now. This will make sure your application is processed early, and your postal vote can be sent to you more quickly once the candidates for the elections are confirmed.
Vote by proxy
If you aren’t able to vote in person, you can ask someone you trust to cast your vote for you. This is called a proxy vote and the person casting your vote is often referred to as your proxy. The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling station to cast your vote, or can apply to vote for you by post.
To apply for a proxy vote, complete the form to vote by proxy, explaining why you can’t get to your polling station in person.
Yes, voting by post is safe and proven cases of electoral fraud are rare. When voting by post, you should mark your vote on the ballot paper in secret, and seal the envelope yourself.
You will also be asked to give your date of birth and signature when applying for a postal or proxy vote. This makes postal voting safe, because when you return your postal voting pack your signature and date of birth are checked against those you provided before to confirm your identity.
Your signature and date of birth are separated from your ballot paper before it is looked at or counted, so giving this information will not affect the secrecy of your vote.
We are putting arrangements in place to make sure polling stations are safe places to vote. You can expect many of the measures you’ve become used to over recent months in shops and banks. This includes hand sanitiser, floor markings and face coverings.
We will continue our discussions with public health authorities as we get ready for the elections to make sure we are following the most up to date guidance. We will continue to update this page as more information and guidance becomes available.
Guidance in this area is still being developed, but you are always welcome to use your own pen or pencil. We are working with the UK’s governments, members of the electoral community and public health authorities to make sure polling station are safe places to vote at the May 2021 elections.
We will update this page with new information as it becomes available.
We are working hard to make sure that polling stations will be safe places to vote in May, but you can choose to apply to vote by post or by proxy instead.
We want to make sure that everyone who is entitled to vote is able to do so, regardless of the pandemic. We will be providing more information nearer the time on how you can vote if you need to self-isolate, or live in an area under local lockdown.
You do have different options for voting at the May 2021 elections – you can vote in person, by post or by proxy. You can find more information on the Electoral Commission website.