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The government has recently introduced the requirement of showing photo ID and it will apply for the first time at our local elections on Thursday 4 May.
You’ll be casting your vote on who represents you on North Somerset Council and your local town and parish council, so take the opportunity to have your say.
Accepted photo ID includes a passport, driving licence, Blue Badge, or bus pass. Check the full list on the Electoral Commission website.
If you don’t have one of these, or aren’t sure whether it still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as the Voter Authority Certificate.
Apply through the government website in plenty of time, and before 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
You must also be registered to vote. It takes five minutes to register online and all you need is your National Insurance number.
The deadline to register to vote in time for the local elections is midnight on Monday 17 April.
Poll cards will start to be sent out about mid-March, telling you your current voting arrangements and where to go if you’re going to a polling station.
If you know you won’t be able to get to the polling station on the day, or it’s just more convenient, you can apply to vote by post.
The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 18 April.
Postal voting packs will start to be sent out from about Monday 17 April.
If you can’t get to the polling station you could also ask for someone you trust to vote on your behalf, known as proxy voting.
The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 4 May.