What are these elections?
The upcoming elections on 4th May are Local Elections, meaning they involve voters electing councillors to the local council. If you are voting here in York, you will be electing a member of the City of York Council to represent the ward you live in.
To see which ward you live in, click here to view the Council’s map.
Local councillors are a crucial part of our lives, as the decisions they make can literally shape our neighbourhoods, communities, housing, infrastructure, and accessibility.
When are they?
Polling day is on Thursday 4th May from 7am to 10pm.
If you can’t vote in person, you can also apply to vote by post until 17th April, Midnight
If you are unable to do this, you can also get someone to vote by postal proxy (on your behalf) until 18th April. Alternatively, they can also vote in person on your behalf, by submitting an application to do so no later than 25th April.
Where are they?
Polling stations will be in many different locations around York. The address of your nearest polling station will be printed on your polling card, which will be delivered to you prior to polling day.
If for whatever reason you don’t receive your polling card do not worry – you do not need this to vote (only a form of valid ID). If you need to find out where your nearest polling station is, you can contact Electoral Services at [email protected], or call 01904 551007.
How do I vote?
If you are a student (and British, Irish, Commonwealth, or European Union (EU) Citizen), are a resident at a York address, and have your name on the electoral register, you can vote in the next local elections in York.
If you need to register to vote here in York, click here to go to the government website.
You will need your national insurance number before you start (you can find this on your national insurance card, payslips, benefit or tax credit letters, P60s and letters about pensions).
The law now states that you need to have a valid ID to be able to vote. Accepted forms of ID include your UK passport, or Channel Islands, Isle of Man, British Overseas territory, EEA state, or Commonwealth country passport. You can also vote with your drivers license (either full or provisional), your blue badge, Proof of Age Standard Scheme (PASS) card.
If the ID you have isn’t listed here, check if you have valid ID before you go to the polls by visiting the electoral commission website here.
You can also get a free Voter Authority Certificate online, which allows you to vote in these elections.
Where do I vote?
If you choose to vote here in York, there are multiple polling stations across the city, so there should be one near where you live.
Uniquely, UK students have the option to vote at their home address, or to vote here in York. Usually, students make the decision based on where they think their vote will matter most, but it is entirely up to you.
Just remember you cannot vote in both your home address and your student address elections, as this is a criminal offence.
Who do I vote for?
While we can’t tell you who to vote for, information about candidates standing for councillor positions can be found on most political party websites already. This gives you the chance to decide for yourself based on what local issues you think matter to you the most, and whether or not you think that candidate will deliver.
Just internet search ‘York local election candidates’ and you should find information about which parties have candidates standing for election in the ward of York where you live.