Bedford Borough residents are being urged to ensure they are registered to vote so they can take part in an important election.
On 5 May, voters will go to the polls to choose a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) for Bedfordshire. The PCC oversees the running of local police, including appointing the chief constable, setting the budget and deciding what the force’s priorities should be.
Residents have until Monday 18 April to apply to vote. Applying to vote is easy – you can use the online form at www.bedford.gov.uk/register-to-vote and it takes just a few minutes.
If you can’t go to the polling station on 5 May, then if you have applied correctly by 18 April you can also apply to vote by post or you can appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. The deadline for postal vote applications is on 5pm on 19 April, while the deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm on Tuesday 26 April.
Philip Simpkins, Chief Executive of Bedford Borough Council and the local electoral registration officer, said: “Anyone not yet registered to vote should do so as soon as possible so they will be able to have their say on issues that directly affect their day-to-day lives.
“It’s important that anyone who is eligible to be on the register, but has not yet registered, does so quickly. Registering to vote is also important ahead of the UK’s upcoming EU referendum, which will be held on 23 June. This will see people vote on whether Britain should leave or remain in the European Union.”
The candidates for this year's PCC election are; Toni Bugle for English Democrats - "More Police - catching criminals!", Kathryn Holloway for the Conservative Party, Linda Jack for the Liberal Democrats, Olly Martins for the Labour and Co-operative Party and Duncan Strachan for the UK Independence Party.
After 13 April a booklet will be available via www.choosemypcc.org.uk, which contains details about each of the candidates in the area.
For more information about the PCC elections, visit www.bedford.gov.uk/democracy
