Voters urged to register to have their say in May
Deadline to register for voting in the Council elections is 18 April
Published: 25 March 2022
On Thursday 5 May people in East Renfrewshire will have their say on who represents them on their local council.
In order to vote in May, residents must be on the electoral register. With the deadline to register to vote fast approaching, East Renfrewshire Council is urging people who are not registered at their current address to make sure they are registered in time.
If you live in Scotland and will be 16 or over on 5 May, you can register to vote in these elections. The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 18 April. It takes just five minutes to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
This year, residents in East Renfrewshire will be voting to elect councillors, who will represent their local area, and make decisions in areas such as education, social care and housing.
Lorraine McMillan, Returning Officer for East Renfrewshire Council, said: 'Time is running out to make sure you can take part in these elections. They are an important opportunity to make your voice heard and have a say on who represents you on issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in East Renfrewshire. If you're not registered by 18 April, you won't be able to vote.'
Andy O'Neill, Head of the Electoral Commission in Scotland, said: 'You can't have your say in these elections unless you are registered to vote. Registering is easy and only takes five minutes. If you have recently turned 16 or moved home, it is particularly important to make sure you are correctly registered to vote. If you were registered to vote in the last election and your details have not changed, you don't need to take any action. If in doubt, you can check with your electoral registration office by calling 0300 300 0150.'
People can choose to vote in a number of ways - in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.
The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 19 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 26 April.
For information on elections in your area, how to register to vote, or how to apply to vote by post or by proxy, visit www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter. This page will continue to be updated ahead of the polls.
