WIREDGOV

With less than a week to go until the deadline to register to vote in the National Assembly for Wales by-election in the Alyn and Deeside constituency, Flintshire County Council is urging residents to make sure they are registered in time.

On Tuesday 6 February voters in the Alyn and Deeside constituency will go to the polls to elect their Member of the National Assembly for Wales. The deadline to register to vote is this Friday 19 January.

Anyone not registered to vote at their current address can register online at www.gov.uk/registertovote

If you will be unable to cast your vote in person on 6 February, you can apply for a postal or proxy vote.

Voting by post is an easy and convenient alternative to voting in person. The deadline to apply to vote by post for the upcoming election is 5pm on Monday 22 January.

Proxy voting allows you to nominate a trusted person to cast your vote for you. The deadline to apply to vote by proxy at the Alyn and Deeside Assembly by-election is 5pm on Monday 29 January.

To apply for a postal or proxy vote, you must have applied to be on the electoral register by Friday 19 January.

Colin Everett, Electoral Registration Officer for Flintshire County Council said:

“The registration deadline is fast approaching. We encourage everyone in the Alyn and Deeside constituency to register to vote by the 19 January deadline to ensure that they can vote on Tuesday 6 February. We would not want anyone eligible to register to miss out on this opportunity.”

Rhydian Thomas, Head of the Electoral Commission in Wales, said:

“Our research indicates that recent home movers in particular are less likely to be registered to vote. If you’ve moved home in the past few months, applying to pay council tax does not mean that you are added to the electoral register. Registering to vote can be done online and takes less than five minutes, or you can contact Flintshire County Council on 01352 702412 for a paper form.”

• The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. It works to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity by:
  • enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible
  • regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
  • using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency