Get ready for the general election

With the general election less than five weeks away, it’s time to get ready to vote on Thursday 4 July.

The general election is to elect Members of Parliament – or MPs – to the House of Commons. The UK is divided into 650 areas called constituencies, and each of these elects one MP to represent local residents at Westminster.

Voters living in Blackburn can vote for an MP for the Blackburn constituency.

Voters living in Darwen can vote for an MP for the Rossendale and Darwen constituency.

It’s quick and easy to register to vote at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The deadline to register to vote, to be able to vote in the general election is 11.59pm on Tuesday 18 June.

There’s lots more information about registering to vote at www.blackburn.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/register-vote.

If you’re unsure if you’re already registered, you can find out by contacting the Council’s Elections team:

Email voting@blackburn.gov.uk  

Call 01254 585920

Denise Park, Chief Executive of Blackburn with Darwen Council and (Acting) Returning Officer for the Blackburn parliamentary constituency election, said:

Today we have received the official writ from King Charles declaring the dissolution of parliament. This marks the start of the pre-election period, and now is the time to get ready to vote.

If you didn’t vote in the local elections in May, but want to vote in the general election, it’s a good idea to check you’re on the electoral register for your current address.

For people who usually vote by post and proxy, it’s a good idea to familiarise yourself with the changes now – again to be ready to use your vote in May’s elections.

And, following the introduction of voter ID for the first time last May, everyone who votes at a polling station will need to show an accepted form of photographic ID. It’s a good idea to check now if you have one of these accepted forms, and take action if you don’t.

If you can’t get to your polling station to vote in person on 4 July, there are other ways to use your vote.

Postal votes

The way voters can apply for postal votes has changed – you can now apply online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.

However, postal vote applications will still be accepted via a new paper form, for anyone who prefers this method.

New postal vote applications will be valid for a maximum of three years.

Anyone who is currently registered to vote by post will be able to use a postal vote in the general election.

Additional changes to voting by post restrict who is legally permitted to handle postal votes. It will limit the number of postal votes that any one person can hand in at polling station to their own postal vote plus a maximum of five, and anyone handing in postal votes will have to complete a declaration form.

Political campaigners will not be allowed to handle postal packs from anyone outside their immediate family.

 

Proxy votes

Changes have also been made to appointing someone who can vote on your behalf at a polling station – known as a proxy vote. One person can act as a proxy for no more than four voters.

 

Voter ID

Photographic ID was required at polling stations for the first time in May 2023. Research from the Electoral Commission shows that around 90% of UK adults have at least one of the accepted forms of photo ID:

• passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
• photographic driver’s licence issued by the UK, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (including provisional)
• European Economic Area (EEA) photographic ID Card
• biometric immigration document
• an identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (PASS card)
• Blue Badge
• Oyster 60+ Card
• a concessionary travel pass funded by HM Government or local authority
• Disabled Person’s Bus Pass.

You will be able to use ID that has expired as long the photograph still looks like you, to prove your identity.

Anyone who doesn’t have one of these accepted forms of photograph ID can apply online for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) by 5pm on Wednesday 26 June – go to www.blackburn.gov.uk/elections-and-voting to find out more.

Blackburn residents can find lots more information about voting in Blackburn with Darwen at  www.blackburn.gov.uk/elections-and-voting.

Darwen residents with any questions about voting in the general election can contact Rossendale Council, which is administering the election in the Rossendale & Darwen constituency. https://www.rossendale.gov.uk/elections-voting/elections