Deadline looms to apply for a proxy vote for West Midlands mayoral election
Published: Friday 21 Apr 2017
Voters wanting a proxy vote for the historic West Midlands mayoral election have just a few days left to apply.
A proxy vote allows someone to nominate another person to vote on their behalf at their nominated polling station.
This is even if it is in a different location to where the proxy must go to cast their own vote.
The region goes to the polls on May 4 to elect its first ever regional mayor and the deadline to appoint a proxy is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
An application form to do so can be obtained from your local Electoral Services Office or one can be downloaded here
An application form to do so can be obtained from your local Electoral Services Office or one can be downloaded here
This date is also the deadline to cancel a proxy vote.
The returning officer for the election and WMCA interim chief executive, Martin Reeves, said: It is important that as many people as possible turn out to vote in this historic election, and proxy voting is another way of ensuring this happens.
If you know that you are going to need someone to vote on your behalf, whether it's because you are going to be away on the day or mobility or health problems prevent you from voting in person, then please use this service to ensure your voice is heard
The mayoral election will see votes cast in Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
Each of the local authority results will be collated by the returning officer for the mayoral election at the Barclaycard Arena in Birmingham on Friday May 5, where the winner will be declared.
The successful candidate will, as Mayor, be responsible for a range of issues, including transport, and will chair the recently formed West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Voters have six candidates to choose from:
- James Burn - Green Party
- Pete Durnell - UK Independence Party (UKIP)
- Beverley Anne Nielsen - Liberal Democrats
- Siôn Llewelyn Simon - Labour and Co-operative Party
- Graham John Stevenson - Communist
- Andy Street - The Conservative Party Candidate
For more information about the role and powers of the Mayor and the West Midlands Combined Authority, as well as further details about the mayoral election itself, visit www.wmcaelects.co.uk