Police and Crime Commissioner By-Election - 21 August
• Register by 5 August
People in the Birmingham area could be missing out on their right to vote in the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner By-Election on Thursday 21 August.
Following the death of the West Midlands Police and Crime Commissioner Bob Jones on 1 July, there will be a by-election across the seven local authority areas of the West Midlands for a new Police and Crime Commissioner for West Midlands Police.
Birmingham's head of electoral service, Robert Connelly, said: “We want to make sure that no-one misses out on their right to vote in this election just because they aren't registered to vote. Some people think that you are automatically registered once you pay council tax, but that isn't the case. Also a lot of people don't realise that if you are not on the register it could affect your ability to get credit including something as simple as a mobile phone contract.
“People also need to check their polling cards as owing to the timing of the election a number of polling stations have moved and they may be voting at a venue they haven't been to before.”
If you want to have your say and vote in this election, you need to make sure you have registered to vote with the Elections Office by no later than Tuesday 5 August and you can do this quickly online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. If you have any doubt as to whether you are on the register you need to check with the Elections Office as soon as possible. If you are not registered, then you cannot vote.
If you are unable to attend a polling station to vote in person due to holidays, or for any other reason, you can apply for a postal vote by 6 August at the latest but you must already be registered to vote. Alternatively you can appoint a proxy (someone who can vote on your behalf) and the deadline for appointing a proxy is 13 August. Again to appoint a proxy you must already be registered to vote.
Further information about registering, voting and postal votes can be obtained from Elections Office, Council House, Victoria Square, Birmingham / 0121 303 2731 / http://www.birmingham.gov.uk/elections or from http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/ for further information about the post of West Midlands Police and Crime commissioner see http://www.westmidlandspcc.info/
And follow the hashtag - #WMPCC
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For further media information contact Debbie Harrison on 303 4476
Notes to editors
The seven local authorities which make up the West Midlands police force area are Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
