The Council is responsible for compiling the Register of
Electors for the District of Ryedale. If you are not on the
Electoral Register you will not be eligible to vote in any
Election. A registered voter can elect to vote in person at a
nominated polling station, by post or by asking someone to act as
their proxy.
If you are unable to visit the polling station and you do not
want to vote by post you can appoint somebody to vote as your
proxy (in your place). To appoint a proxy you will need
to complete the appropriate application form.
From 1 January 2007, every new absent voting application must
include the applicant's
signature and
date
of birth to be valid.
The Regulations prescribe
that:
- All applications require the date of birth to
be supplied in a dd/mm/yyyy format
- All applications must have the signature
supplied.
- Where a postal vote is to be sent to an
address other than the registered address, a reason for this
redirection must be given.
- Where applicable, please give the reason why
a signature is unable to be provided and the name and address of
any person who has assisted the application.
These provisions are in addition to the existing requirements
for absent vote applications, namely that:
- They must be in writing and be dated by the
applicant
- They must include the full name of the
applicant
- They must include the registration address or
for a postal proxy application, the elector's name and address and
the proxy's name and address
- They must include the address where the
postal ballot paper should be sent, and if this is not the
registration address, a reason for this re-direction
- On proxy applications, they must include the
reason for the application and attestation if it is for more than a
single election.
Where an applicant is unable to provide a
signature, they may request that the Electoral Registration Officer
waive the requirement for a signature. Any such request must
include the reason(s) for it, along with the name and address of
any person who has assisted the applicant with the completion
of the application.
Existing Absent Voters:
By law, all Electoral Registration Officers
had to send a notice after 1st January 2007,
to all existing postal, proxy and postal proxy voters, requiring
them to supply a specimen of their signature and
their date of birth. Reminders were sent to
anyone who had not replied, and if no further response was received
from the elector, by law the postal/proxy voting status of that
elector was cancelled with effect from 42 days after the
initial notice.
Timescales for Making Absent Vote
Applications Prior to Polling:
- The latest date for making a new application
for a postal vote is 5pm, eleven
days before Polling Day.
- The latest date for making a new application
for a proxy vote is
5pm, six
days before Polling Day.
- The latest date for amending
an existing postal or postal proxy application is 5pm
eleven days before Polling Day.
- In the case of a medical emergency on the
grounds of unforeseen physical incapacity, a proxy
application can be received up until 5pm
on the day of poll.
Anyone wishing to make an application for a
postal or proxy vote should contact Democratic
Services on the details below.