Everything you need to know to vote on Thursday

Local elections are taking place this Thursday (2 May), as well as the Police and Crime Commissioner election for the Thames Valley.

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm and it is important you are ready to take part and have your say in who represents you, with all 54 seats up for grabs at the borough election.

Your poll card tells you when and where to vote and you must go to your allocated polling station. You do not need to take your polling card with you to vote, but you must take suitable photo ID, which is explained more later in this newsletter.

If you lose your poll card, you can still vote, but you need to give your name and address to the staff on duty.

If you have lost your poll card and do not know where your polling station is, you can check your polling station on our website.

Plan what time you will cast your vote, leaving plenty of time before the 10pm deadline. If you are in a queue at 10pm, you will still be able to vote.

If you arrive at the polling station after 10pm, then the poll will be closed and you will have missed your chance to take part.

Remember your photo ID

Although it is not the first year when photo ID is mandatory, not all wards had elections in 2023 and for many people this will be the first time they have needed to bring it to vote at a polling station.

If you fail to turn up with suitable ID, you will not be issued with a ballot paper.

There are many forms of ID that are accepted, including:

• Passport
• Full or provisional driving licence
• Blue badge
• Certain concessionary travel cards, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card
• Identity card with Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) mark
• Biometric Immigration document
• Defence identity card
• Certain national identity cards

Expired ID will also be accepted, as long as you still look like the photograph on the document. Bringing your poll card by itself will not entitle you to vote.

It needs to be the original document and not a photocopy or photo of the original.

A full list of accepted forms of ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website, along with more information about the new requirement.

Check ward and polling station

Major changes have been made to the electoral ward boundaries in Wokingham Borough, following a review by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

This means some of you will be voting in a different ward to the one you last cast your vote in. You are advised to read your polling card carefully, as it will tell you where your polling station is. You can also check your polling station on our website.

The review was conducted to ensure councillors represent roughly the same number of electors and that ward arrangements will help the council work effectively. The number of councillors will remain at 54, but there will now be 18 wards, with each represented by three councillors. Terms will depend on how many votes are received:

• The candidate that receives the most votes will be in post for four years
• The candidate that receives the second-most votes will be in post for three years
• The candidate that receives the third-most votes will be in post for two years
• There are no local elections in 2025 (fallow year)

The new wards are: Barkham & Arborfield; Bulmershe & Coronation; Emmbrook; Evendons; Finchampstead; Hawkedon; Hillside; Loddon; Maiden Erlegh & Whitegates; Norreys; Shinfield; South Lake; Spencers Wood & Swallowfield; Thames; Twyford, Ruscombe & Hurst; Wescott; Winnersh and Wokingham Without.

Voting by post

If you are voting by post, you should have received your postal ballot pack for both the local and Police and Crime Commissioner elections by now.

If you have not done so already, we would recommend that you complete and return it as soon as possible, using a Royal Mail post box.

If you miss the post, you can hand it in at the Council Offices, Shute End, Wokingham (during office hours) or your polling station on election day.

But choosing to hand in your postal vote will mean that you must complete an additional form with an authorised member of staff. If you do not, your postal vote will be rejected. 

The final batch of postal votes were sent on Thursday 25 April.

There are new restrictions on the handling of postal votes. Voters will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal ballot packs (in addition to their own). Political parties and campaigners are also banned from handling postal vote packs.

If the ballot paper is spoilt, don’t throw any part of the ballot paper pack away. Instead, return it to the council’s Electoral Services Team and replacements can be issued up to 5pm on polling day.

If you are too late to post your ballot paper, take it to your polling station by 10pm and complete the form with a member of staff. 

PCC election

In addition to the local elections, you will have the chance to vote for the next Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) on 2 May.

PCCs were introduced in the 41 police authorities across England in 2012. They are elected representatives who oversee how crime is tackled in a police force area. Their aim is to cut crime and to ensure the police force is effective. They are elected for a four-year term. 

The Thames Valley Police Area is made up of 13 local authorities, which have Local Returning Officers who are responsible for arranging and delivery the poll for the electors in their area.

You can see this year's candidates and read their manifestos online.

When it comes to polling day, you will only be able to select one preferred candidate, whereas previously you could have a first and second choice vote. 

The result of the PCC election will be made on Saturday 4 May, once the results from the different local authorities have been gathered.

The voting process

Once you have shown your photo ID, the staff at the polling station will give you ballot papers listing the candidates you can vote for and they are on hand to provide advice on the voting process.

Take your ballot papers into a polling booth so that nobody can see how you vote. Read the ballot papers carefully, as they will tell you how to cast your vote. Do not write anything else on the paper, or your vote may not be counted.

Mark your ballot papers according to the instructions - a pencil will be provided for you to do this. Finally, fold your completed ballot papers in half and pop it in the ballot box.

This year, there will be two ballot papers to complete, with one for the local elections and another for the PCC election. You will be able to choose up to three candidates on the local elections ballot.

Previously, you have been able to pick a first and second choice on the PCC ballot, but this year you will only be able to select one preferred candidate.

Proxy voting

If you have appointed a proxy, then they need to make sure they are able to vote at the correct polling station on your behalf and they must have their photo ID with them.

Electors are now only able to act as a proxy for a maximum of four people. No more than two of these can be domestic electors.

In certain circumstances, if you have an emergency that means you can't vote in person, you can apply for an emergency proxy. This includes:

• You have a medical emergency
• You are away for work
• Your photo ID is lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged

This must be something that you weren't aware of before the normal proxy vote deadline.

You can apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day. Email our Electoral Services Team to ask about this.

Accessibility

Voters with disabilities will have access to extra assistance in polling stations.

You can bring anyone who is over the age of 18 to help you vote, or you can ask polling station staff for help to cast your vote. You can download and complete a voting passport, which can then be handed to polling staff so they can understand the adjustments needed to help you vote.

Tactile voting devices, large print sample versions of the ballot paper and magnifiers will be available to help blind or partially sighted voters mark their ballot paper. You can also take your phone into the polling booth and use the magnifier, torch, or text-to-speech apps, to help you vote.

All polling stations will be accessible. Each polling station will have level access or an entry/exit ramp or a separate entrance, so that everyone can access it. Once inside, every polling station will have a wheelchair accessible polling booth.

All polling stations will also have Easy Read guides about how to vote.

We have a dedicated webpage on accessibility at polling stations, which has lots more information about the help available.

Follow us

The count starts at 9am on Friday (3 May) and we will be sharing updates on the results as they are announced. Follow us on Twitter for the latest information.