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Voters urged to register for triple elections
Voters in Bristol are being urged to make sure they are registered under the system ahead of a triple vote on the mayor, councillors and the police and crime commissioner in May.
The polls open on May 5 for local elections amid fears that thousands of people will be excluded by the new system which requires everyone to register individually, instead of simply under one household.
Those who were previously registered at the same address will be carried over on the new system automatically. But those who weren’t, or have recently moved, need to register themselves individually by April 18.
The move to get people signed up follows a visit to Bristol by Jeremy Corbyn who addressed crowds in Easton lest year about making sure people didn’t drop off the radar.
Many in the Labour Party camp fear their traditional working class supporters may be among the most at risk of being excluded by the new rules.
There are currently 316,000 people registered voters in Bristol of a population of about 420,000.
Nicola Yates, returning officer for Bristol City Council, said: “The May 2016 elections will give the citizens of Bristol an unprecedented opportunity to exercise a democratic right to directly influence the makeup of the city’s leadership. To vote you must be registered, there is no exception. I urge all those not currently registered to do so.”
How to register:
Online – To register online visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Paper application – A paper copy of the application form can be downloaded from the gov.uk website or posted by calling 0117 922 3400 to request a registration form.
Residents will need their National Insurance number to register both online and by paper application.
For residents needing support to register online, help is available at their local library or the 100 Temple Street Citizen Service Point.
Those who are uncertain as to whether they are registered to vote should email [email protected] or call Electoral Services on 0117 922 3400.
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