General Election – important information for voters

Voters across the borough are being reminded of important dates before the upcoming General Election.

The election will be held on Thursday 4 July, when the seats of Bury North and Bury South will be contested as the nation goes to the polls.

The candidates for both Bury seats will be announced on Friday 7 June when the deadline for nominations closes.

Key dates:

Registering to vote:

You must be on the electoral register to vote. If you are not already on the electoral roll, the deadline to register to vote in these elections is midnight on Tuesday 18 June 2024. To register, go to https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.You will be asked for your National Insurance number, but you can still register if you do not have one.

Postal vote:

You can vote by post if you wish. If you do not usually vote by post, you can apply for a postal vote online at https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.

You will need to apply We will send you a ballot paper about two weeks before the day of the election. If you apply to vote by post, you will not be able to vote in person at a polling station.

You can ask for a proxy vote, which allows someone you trust to vote on your behalf on polling day. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is Wednesday 26 June 2024 – go to https://www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote

If your trusted person can’t get to the polling station, they can apply to vote for you by post. This is called a postal proxy vote.

The deadline to apply for a postal proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024. To apply, call 0161 253 5252 or email el**************@bu**.uk

Other important information:

Election day:

Polling stations will be open on 4 July from 7am to 10pm.

Residents will soon receive a polling card detailing which polling station they should go to on election day.

Boundary changes:

Due to boundary changes since the last General Election, some residents will be voting in a different constituency than previously.

The main change is that most of the Radcliffe North and Ainsworth ward will be moving from Bury South to Bury North. There are also changes to parts of Unsworth and Bury West.

One Salford ward, Kersal and Broughton, will be moving into the Bury South constituency.

To check which constituency you are in, go to our interactive map: https://maps.bury.gov.uk/ExternalWebMap/Map.aspx?MapName=Elections

Photographic Identification

If you vote in person at a polling station, you will need to show identification with a photograph. You can use any of the following:

• Passport
• Driving licence (including provisional licence)
• Blue Badge
• Certain concessionary travel cards
• Identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
• Biometric Immigration document
• Defence identity card
• Certain national identity cards

If you do not bring photographic ID, you will not be able to vote. The photographic ID must be in the name that you are registered on the Electoral Register.

For further information about which forms of photo ID will be accepted, visit electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.

If you don’t have any of the photographic IDs listed above, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate from the Government. To apply, go to www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificateor call the helpline 0800 328 0280. The deadline for applying for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.

Press release issued: 3 June 2024.