Voters in Brighton and Hove have less than a fortnight to ensure that they will be able to have their say at the general election on Thursday 6 May.
Brighton and Hove City Council said that voters must register by Tuesday 20 April to qualify for the electoral roll.
Council chief executive and acting returning officer John Barradell said: “All eligible voters in Brighton and Hove should ensure they are on the electoral register as the countdown to the general election is now on.
“If you’re not on the register, you can’t vote.”
There are three constituencies in Brighton and Hove. They are Brighton Kemptown, Brighton Pavilion and Hove. The Kemptown constituency also takes in parts of the Lewes district – East Saltdean, Telscombe and Peacehaven.
Residents can check whether they’re registered by phoning the Electoral Services Office at Brighton Town Hall on 01273 291999.
Information about registering can also be found on the council’s website at www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/vote and on the Electoral Commission website www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.
Residents can also appoint someone else to vote on their behalf – called proxy voting – if there is a particular reason why they cannot vote in person. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 27 April.
Candidates can collect nomination packs from Brighton Town Hall.
Nomination papers should be returned to the Electoral Services Office at Brighton Town Hall between 10am and 4pm between Wednesday 14 April and Tuesday 20 April.
I went off to the AboutMyVote website you linked to, because my council (outside Sussex) has threats about a fine of 1000 pounds, and guess what, there’s no mention of that on the AboutMyVote site, so I’m still none the wiser as to whether it is truth or fiction!
Perhaps someone can clarify whether there is as big a fine as that, please? (I can understand, for Jury Service, for example, that a complete register of electors is needed, but I didn’t see that mentioned, either!)
Seems to me the “push” for getting people to register is always made on the grounds of “you cannot express your view” and “you won’t be allowed to vote” (and years ago wasn’t there an advert where a younger person had his lips “zipped” together, with some line like “if you’re not registered, you cannot speak your mind”). There are other aspects of the Electoral Roll which are not mentioned – I wonder why?
(PS Although I no longer live in Hove, I still have family there.)