Archived press release

Date Published: 20/04/07

Postal ballot papers for next month's local elections will be dropping through the letterboxes of Aylesbury Vale electors over the next few days. They will be sent to 13,000 people who have registered to cast their vote by post in the district an...

Postal ballot papers for next month's local elections will be dropping through the letterboxes of Aylesbury Vale electors over the next few days.

They will be sent to 13,000 people who have registered to cast their vote by post in the district and parish elections on 3 May.

Following a recent change in legislation, electors wishing to vote by post or proxy have to provide ‘personal identifiers’ in the form of a signature and date of birth. The postal ballot papers will be accompanied by a security statement which will require voters to enter their personal identifiers for the vote to be valid.

When returned postal votes are opened, the security statement will be scanned into the electoral registration database where the elector’s signature and date of birth will be compared to the personal identifiers previously received and recorded on the system.

As long as the personal identifiers match, the completed ballot paper will be passed for counting, as usual. Any postal votes which are not validated electronically will be subject to a manual check.

These new measures are to improve security and introduce deterrents against fraud so that electors have confidence that their vote will be cast and counted fairly. They have been introduced under the Electoral Administration Act, passed last year due to concerns about the security of postal voting. The new regulations have created offences for supplying wrongful information and falsely applying for a postal or proxy vote.

Les White, Deputy Returning Officer, said: “By having an elector’s date of birth and signature on file, checks can be made at the time of an election which will mean that the security of postal votes is enhanced and the opportunity for electoral fraud is reduced. The secrecy of people’s vote is not affected and their personal identifiers will be stored securely.”

If you were too late to apply for a postal vote, you could always appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. Proxy applications must be received by the council by 5pm on 25 April.

There is a new provision which allows a proxy to be appointed in the case of a medical condition or incapacity which arises from 26 April until 5pm on polling day. If anybody becomes ill during this period they need to call the council’s electoral registration team on 01296 585807 or email electoralreg@aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk.

Poll cards for next month’s elections were sent to registered households earlier this month. The card tells you the date and hours of the poll and the location of your polling station.

Not every elector in Aylesbury Vale will be getting the chance to mark their cross in the district council elections. Stewkley is the only ward that will not be contested at a district level – with one candidate being returned unopposed to represent the ward for the next electoral term.

A number of parish council seats will also be uncontested, leaving the nominated candidates elected unopposed. A list of the uncontested parish councils is available on the council’s website at www.aylesburyvaledc.gov.uk/elections along with details of all the candidates.