Elections 2024: Make sure you are registered to vote

With this year’s local elections fast approaching on 2 May, here are some key details of which areas will be voting and the dates and deadlines you’ll need to know about to take part and make your voice heard. 

Local elections of some description will be held in all parts of England and Wales. This is because, although council elections are only taking place in 58 district authorities, 18 unitary authorities and 31 metropolitan districts, all parts of England and Wales will also be electing either their Police and Crime Commissioner or, in areas where the office holds those powers, the regional mayor. There are no regularly scheduled elections taking place in Scotland or Northern Ireland. 

Local authorities are an important campaigning focus for the Countryside Alliance. In recent years we have seen off attempts by fringe activists to ban trail hunting on public land under councils’ control; we have also caused ten councils, so far, to pass motions supporting their local food and farming sectors in the face of pressure from vegan extremists to stop serving dairy and meat. Meanwhile our 2023 Rural Crime Survey found that rural policing has shown insufficient improvement since the introduction of Police and Crime Commissioners in 2012. It has never been more important to have people in these roles who understand the realities of rural life. We will publish our manifesto for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections shortly.

The deadline for the nomination of candidates is Friday 5 April, and final lists will be published by 4pm on Monday 8 April. If you have yet to register to vote, perhaps because you recently moved house, you can do so until Tuesday 16 April. If you want to apply for a postal vote or modify your existing arrangements the deadline is Wednesday 17 April, whereas for new proxy voting applications it is Wednesday 24 April. If you lost your postal voting form you can apply from a replacement from Friday 26 April. Polling day is Thursday 2 May. 

If you plan to vote in person at a polling station, don’t forget that this is the second year when you’ll be required to show photographic ID: the Electoral Commission has details on its website of which documents can be accepted. 

To find out more about elections in your area, the Electoral Commission offers a helpful tool that allows you to enter your postcode and find out: 

• Whether and which elections are taking place in your area; 
• The address of your polling station; and 
• Contact details for the electoral services team at your council, who can help with queries about registration. 

You can access it Electoral Commission website. 

To support our work standing up for rural communities at all levels of government, please consider joining the Countryside Alliance today.