Elections formally declared in Tendring

Elections taking place in Tendring on 6 May have formally been declared – and people are being encouraged to take part.

Voters will be taking to the polls to elect the Essex Police Fire and Crime Commissioner, Essex County Council members, and two seats of Tendring District Council (TDC) – in the Eastcliff, and West Clacton & Jaywick Sands wards. The Notices of Election were published on Friday (19 March).

Those looking to run in the elections now have until 4pm on Thursday, 8 April to submit their nomination to be included on the ballot papers on polling day. Advice for potential candidates can be found on the TDC website at www.tendringdc.gov.uk/2021elections.

To vote in the elections people must be on the electoral register. While the deadline for voter registration for the upcoming elections is Monday, 19 April, residents are urged to act now. You can register to vote at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or call the TDC Electoral Services team on 01255 686575.

If you live in Tendring and are over-18 you may well be eligible to vote, including those who live in a refuge or are in the Armed Forces. EU nationals are also eligible to both stand and vote in the forthcoming elections.

Ahead of the election, TDC is asking voters to consider how they may cast their ballot on polling day – and details of the Covid-secure measures can be found at www.tendringdc.gov.uk/PollingDaySafe. Polling stations will be open and operating in a Covid-secure way.

Residents who want to vote by post, rather than at a polling station, are being encouraged to apply early, with the deadline for applications 5pm on Tuesday, 20 April. Applications for proxy votes, where you know you will be away on polling day or have accessibility issues, must be made by 5pm on Tuesday, 27 April. If something happens after then – including having to self-isolate due to Covid-19 – you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm on 6 May itself.

For those who are already registered to vote poll cards will begin to be issued. Although you do not need these to vote, residents are urged to check the details – especially as their polling station may have changed from the last elections.

Ian Davidson, the Returning Officer, said elections are a fundamental part of our democracy – and it is important people have their say.

“Elections are people’s chance to have their democratic say about what happens where they live,” he added.

“However, people can only have that say if they are registered, and then actually cast their vote. So I cannot stress enough how important it is that you make sure you are registered by the deadline, that you check where and how you vote, and then go to cast your ballot how you wish to do so.

“People can also stand as candidates in these elections, and I would recommend anyone looking to do so reads the guidance available on our website as there are some strict rules about how campaigns are managed, which they must abide by.”