The candidates for a Penrith Town Council by-election have been revealed.
An election for the Penrith South ward will be held on Thursday, November 27.
Three candidates will stand for election for the single vacancy in that ward.
They are Alex Deacon for the Liberal Democrats, Mike Houston for Reform UK and Kimberley Jane Lawson for the Green Party.
Only one candidate was nominated for the vacancy in the Penrith West ward of the town council.
It means that Vivo Dippita has been duly elected unopposed for the Liberal Democrats and there will not be a by-election in the Penrith West ward.
People living in the Penrith South ward already registered to vote do not need to register their details again.
People who have moved into, or changed address within the Penrith South ward since responding to the voter registration form, will need to reregister their details before the midnight deadline on Tuesday, November 11, to be eligible to vote in the by-election.
Register to vote is online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, or Westmorland and Furness Council can send out a registration form in the post.
Postal vote change
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 returning officer at a designated council office 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.
People handing in postal votes are now limited to handing in no more than five postal votes for other electors, plus their own postal vote for each election.
A postal vote return form, which includes some personal information (name and address) will need also to be completed when handing in a postal vote. This form requires the completion of a declaration.
Electors wishing to hand their postal vote in at a polling station must also complete a postal vote return form for the postal vote to be accepted.
Postal votes must not be put through council office letterboxes or via internal council mailboxes.
Postal votes may be rejected if people don’t follow these rules when handing in postal votes. This means they will not be counted in the election.
More information on how to vote by post is available at www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/postal-voting
Voting in person
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 (VAC).
Applications for a VAC or an Anonymous Elector’s Document valid for these elections must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday 19 November.
Applications for a Voter Authority Certificate can be made online at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
For more information, visit the Westmorland and Furness Council website at www.westmorlandandfurness.gov.uk/voting-and-elections/elections/town-council-election-penrith
