Town ward local by-election 2025
Information for voters
Key dates and information for electors can be found as follows:
Registering to vote
The last day to register to vote for the election is midnight on Tuesday 7 January 2025. If you are not registered to vote, please go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Further information can be found on registration.
Apply for a voter authority certificate to use as voter ID
You will need to apply for a voter authority certificate by 5pm on Wednesday 15 January 2025. If you need to apply for a voter authority certificate, please go to https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.
Further information can be found on voter ID.
Find your polling station
Your poll card will contain the polling station you have been assigned for this election. If you would prefer to check online, you will be able to find this information via the Democracy Club Polling Station Finder shortly.
Choosing to vote by post
You can apply for a postal vote online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote. Alternatively, you can download and complete a Postal Vote Application form.
We will need to receive your postal vote application (either online or physically in our office) by 5pm on Wednesday 8 January 2025 to put this in place for this election. Any postal vote applications received after this time (including applications received by post after this time) will not be able to be processed for this election.
Further information can be found on postal voting.
Cancelling or changing an existing postal vote
To cancel an existing postal vote, you must inform us in writing. This can be done by emailing the Elections team at electreg@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk or writing in to Elections, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Castle House, Barracks Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1BL.
We will need to receive your cancellation by 5pm on Wednesday 8 January 2025.
If you are looking to make a change to your postal vote, we recommend that you complete a new application.
Recieving your postal vote
If your postal vote pack is going to a UK address and you have received confirmation that you have a postal vote in place, your postal vote pack will be delivered to you by around the 13 January 2025.
If you have not received your postal vote pack by Friday 17 January 2025, please contact the Elections team on 01782 717717 or email at electreg@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk
Returning postal vote packs
From May 2024, though returning postal vote packs by a Royal Mail post box will continue as normal, new legislation means that those who choose to hand their postal vote packs in at a polling station or at the offices of Castle House will only be able to hand in a total of 6 (your own and up to 5 others). You will also be asked to fill in a form when handing postal votes in at a polling station or our offices. Based on the new legislation, any postal vote packs handed into a polling station or the offices of Castle House by someone who does not complete a form will be rejected and not included in the vote.
Political parties and campaigners are banned from handling postal vote packs entirely.
Choosing to vote by proxy
To appoint someone to vote on your behalf as a proxy, you will need to complete a proxy vote application. You can apply for a proxy vote online at www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote. Alternatively, you can download and complete a Proxy Vote Application form.
We will need to receive this (either online or physically in our office) by 5pm on Wednesday 15 January 2025. Any proxy vote applications received after this time will not be processed for this election.
Further information can be found on proxy voting.
Cancelling or changing an existing proxy vote
To cancel an existing proxy vote, you must inform us in writing. This can be done by emailing the Elections team at electreg@newcastle-staffs.gov.uk or writing in to Elections, Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, Castle House, Barracks Road, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 1BL.
We will need to receive your cancellation by 5pm on Wednesday 15 January 2025.
If you are looking to make a change to your proxy vote, we recommend that you complete a new application.
Voting by emergency proxy
Emergency proxies are for medical, work or lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged photo ID related issues that have arisen after the proxy deadline on 5pm on Wednesday 15 January 2025.
We will need to receive completed emergency proxy applications by 5pm on Thursday 23 January 2025.