The list of candidates to fill a councillor vacancy in the Penrith South Ward of Penrith Town Council Nominations has been published.
Three candidates will contest the by-election in the ward on Thursday 27 November. They are Alex Deacon for the Liberal Democrats, Mike Houston for Reform UK and Kimberley Jane Lawson for the Green Party.
Only one candidate was nominated for the councillor vacancy in the Penrith West Ward of Penrith Town Council. This means that Vivo Dippita has been duly elected unopposed for the Liberal Democrats and that there will not be a by-election in the Penrith West Ward.
If you currently live in the Penrith South Ward and are already registered to vote then you do not need to register your details again.
If you have moved into, or changed address within the Penrith South Ward since responding to the voter registration form, you will need to re-register you details before the midnight deadline on Tuesday 11 November to be eligible to vote in the by-election.
The easiest way to register to vote is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, or Westmorland and Furness Council can send you a registration form in the post.
The rules for postal voting have now changed and postal voters are encouraged to use the Royal Mail envelope provided with the postal vote pack, wherever possible.
Anyone returning a postal vote by hand to the Returning Officer at a designated Council Office must complete a postal vote return form. A postal vote returned by hand that is not accompanied by a postal vote return form will be rejected.
People handing in postal votes are now limited to handing in no more than five postal votes for other electors, plus their own postal vote for each election.
A postal vote return form, which includes some personal information (name and address) will need also to be completed when handing in a postal vote. This form requires the completion of a declaration.
Electors wishing to hand their postal vote in at a polling station must also complete a postal vote return form for the postal vote to be accepted.
Postal votes must not be put through council office letterboxes or via internal council mailboxes.
Postal votes may be rejected if people don’t follow these rules when handing in postal votes. This means they will not be counted in the election.
More information on how to vote by post is available at www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/postal-voting
Anyone voting in person will have to show a form of photo ID. Anyone without an eligible form of ID can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC).
Applications for a VAC or an Anonymous Elector’s Document valid for these elections must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday 19 November.
Applications for a Voter Authority Certificate can be made online at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
For more information, visit the Westmorland and Furness Council website at www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/voting-and-elections/elections/town-council-election-penrith
