Elections will be held in May for the county’s police, fire and crime commissioner – plus some parish and town councils.
Cumberland Council is the lead authority for the commissioner elections, which are being arranged jointly with Westmorland and Furness Council.
Electors should contact the relevant elections team at Cumberland Council or Westmorland and Furness Council with any enquiries such as in relation to postal and proxy votes and Voter Authority Certificates.
Key dates and information for fire and crime commissioner elections
Anyone wishing to stand in the PFCC elections, can obtain nomination papers from the office of the Police Area Returning Officer, Allerdale House, New Bridge Road, Workington CA14 3YJ.
Completed forms must be returned to this address by 4pm on Friday April 5.
Candidates can also contact the elections team by email at elections@cumberland.gov.uk .
More details on the nomination process can be found on the Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council websites.
Local town and parish council elections in the Cumberland Council area
Parish council elections are also taking place in some areas, as well as a parish by-election for Silloth on Solway Town Council.
Parishes and wards with scheduled elections are:
- Brampton Parish Council
- Carlatton Parish Council
- Castle Carrock Parish Council
- Cumrew Parish Council
- Cumwhitton Parish Council
- Hayton Parish Council
- Wetheral Parish Council
- Grange and Cartmel ward of Westmorland and Furness Council
Anyone interested in standing, can contact the elections team by email at elections@cumberland.gov.uk or alternatively contact the relevant parish clerk.
Nomination papers may be obtained from the offices of the Returning Officer, Cumberland Council, Civic Centre, Rickergate, Carlisle, Cumbria, CA3 8QG and must be returned before 4pm on Friday April 5.
More details, including the number of seats available on each council, can be found on the Cumberland Council website.
If contested elections for town and parish council elections will be held on May 2.
Key dates and information for electors
Applications to register to vote must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by midnight on Tuesday April 16.
Applications can be made online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday April 17.
The rules for postal voting have now changed and postal voters are encouraged to use the Royal Mail envelope provided with the postal vote pack, wherever possible.
Anyone returning a postal vote by hand to the Local Returning Officer must complete a postal vote return form.
A postal vote returned by hand that is not accompanied by a postal vote return form will be rejected.
There are also new limits on the number of postal votes that can be handed in by one person.
Electors who wish to hand their postal vote in at the polling stations or designated council offices must complete a postal vote return form for the postal vote to be accepted.
Postal votes should not be put through the council’s letter boxes or via internal council mail boxes as these will have to be rejected.
Anyone voting in person will have to show a form of photo ID. Anyone without an eligible form of ID can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.
Applications for a certificate or an Anonymous Elector’s Document valid for these elections must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday April 24. Applications for a certificate can be made online www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
Applications to vote by proxy at these elections must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday April 24.
Applications to vote by emergency proxy at these elections must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Thursday May 2.
More information on upcoming elections in Cumbria can be found on the councils’ websites www.cumberland.gov.uk and www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk
General contact details for Cumberland Council are: Elections Team, Allerdale House, New Bridge Road, Workington, CA14 3YJ; email: elections@cumberland.gov.uk; telephone 0300 373 3730.
General contact details for Westmorland and Furness Council are: Elections Team, South Lakeland House, Lowther Street, Kendal, LA9 4DQ.; email elections3@westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk; telephone 0300 373 3300.
