Forthcoming Elections

The Council is responsible for organising all elections for County Borough Councillors, Community Councillors, Members of the Senedd, Members of Parliament and the Police and Crime Commissioner. We are also responsible for running any Referendums. Over the next few years we are expecting the following elections;

Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council

The next Blaenau County Borough Council Elections will be held in May 2022.

Community Councils

The next Community Council Elections will be held in May 2022.

Members of Parliament

The next Parliamentary Elections will be held in 2024.

Police Crime Commissioner

The next Police Crime Commissioner Elections will be held in 2024.

Senedd

The next Senedd Elections will be held in 2026.

How to Vote

You can vote at elections only if your name appears on the electoral register and you are eligible to vote at the election taking place.

Please register now if you have not already done so online at www.gov.uk/registertovote we will need your national insurance number and date of birth in order to complete the registration process.

Applications to register to vote must be received by the 14th April 2022 to enable you to vote at the elections to be held in May 2022.

Voting at a polling station

You can go along to your local Polling Station and vote in person as long as you are registered on the Electoral Register.

About three or four weeks before an election you will receive your polling card in the post. On this card you will find details of when, where and how to vote. It is easier if you take this with you when you vote although you can vote without it.

At the polling station the Poll Clerk will ask you to verbally state your name and address. It is an offence to give false information and may result in prosecution.

You will then receive a ballot paper(s) which will state how many candidates you can vote for. Simply take the ballot paper(s) to a polling booth and put a cross next to the candidate or candidates you wish to vote for.

Do not write anything else on the paper or you risk your vote not being counted. Fold the ballot paper to hide you vote, show the folded paper to the clerk and place it in the ballot box. You do not have to tell anyone who you voted for.

To find out where your local Polling Station is please contact the Elections Section at the Council on 01495 355086, or by email at electoral.services@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk

Voting by post

You can vote by post if you can’t or don’t want to go to a Polling Station.

You can apply to vote by post for a specific election or for all future elections and you will need to complete a form and return it to the Council. A copy of the Postal Vote Application Form can be obtained by contacting the Elections Section on 01495 355086.  You can apply to vote by post at any time.

Please remember to return the signed form in the post or by hand, as we need your signature on the form.
Return your completed form to the Electoral Registration Office, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, The General Offices, Steelworks Road, Ebbw Vale, NP23 6DN.

Who can vote by post?

Anyone can vote by post, as long as they are registered on the Electoral Register.

Voting by post is particularly useful for people who are on holiday on the day of the election, people who have moved house (see also how to register if you have moved house), people who are physically unable to get to a Polling Station, or anyone who just wants to vote by post!

How does postal voting work?

Your ballot paper, together with a postal vote statement, will be sent to you a week or so before an election.

You will need to provide your date of birth and signature on the statement, mark your ballot paper(s) as directed on the ballot paper and return the statement and ballot paper(s) in the pre-paid envelope provided.

We will then match your date of birth and signature against the details previously supplied on your application form to prevent fraud and to protect your vote. If there is a genuine reason why you cannot provide your normal signature you may be granted a waiver but you will still need to supply your date of birth.

If you decide to register as a postal voter you cannot, under any circumstances, vote in person at a polling station. However, you can hand deliver your postal vote to the polling station on polling day.

Voting by proxy

Proxy voting means having someone to vote on your behalf. This can either be in person at your usual Polling Station or by post.

Anyone can be your proxy as long as they are eligible to vote in UK elections and they are willing to vote on your behalf.

How do I apply to vote by proxy?

To apply to vote by proxy you need to complete a form and return it to the Council. You can apply to vote by proxy here or a form can be obtained by contacting the Electoral registration Office on 01495 355086.  Fill in the form and make sure you sign it. Return your completed form to the Electoral Registration Office, Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council, The General Offices, Steelworks Road,Ebbw Vale, NP23 6DN.

What happens after I've applied?

Your proxy must go to your local polling station to vote. If your proxy cannot get to the polling station, they can apply to vote for you by post. They can apply to do this up to 11 days before election day. The electoral registration office can give you more details about this. Your proxy will be sent a proxy poll card, telling them where and when to vote.

You must let your proxy know how you want them to vote on your behalf, for example, which candidate(s) or which party.

If you are able to go to the polling station on election day, you can still vote in person as long as your proxy has not already done so or has not applied to vote by post for you.

Who can vote by proxy?

You can apply for a proxy vote as long as you are on the electoral register. When you apply for a proxy vote you have to provide a reason. You can apply for a proxy vote if:

  • You are unable to go to the polling station for one particular election, for example, if you are away on holiday
  • You have a physical condition that means you cannot go to the polling station on election day
  • Your employment means that you cannot go to the polling station on election day
  • Your attendance on an educational course means that you cannot go to the polling station on election day
  • You are a British citizen living overseas
  • You are a crown servant or a member of Her Majesty's Armed Forces

The deadline for applying to vote by proxy is normally 6 working days before an election. However, if you have a medical emergency 6 days before election day or after, you can apply to vote by emergency proxy if the emergency means that you cannot go to the polling station in person.

Changes to voting in Wales

There have been a few recent changes to the Welsh voting franchise.

Young people aged 14 and 15 are now able to register to vote and 16 and 17 year olds can now vote in Welsh Parliament (Senedd) elections and Local Government elections.

This means that during the May 2022 Local Government and Community Council elections, there will be an opportunity for thousands more voters to have their say.

This presents an exciting opportunity for young people, as for the first time, they will have a hand in choosing who represents them in Blaenau Gwent.

Young people’s new voting powers do not extend to UK general elections, as you still have to be 18 to vote in general elections.

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/welcome-your-vote/resources-14-18-year-olds

A quick video on how you cast your vote in the polling station is below.

https://youtu.be/yf68w09H3Hg

To add your details to the electoral register you can do so online at www.gov.uk/registertovote or contact electoral services for an application form.

For more information, contact:
Electoral Registration
Tel: 01495 355086
Email:  electoral.services@blaenau-gwent.gov.uk