Ribble Valley Parliamentary Election 4 July 2024

Rooms for use by candidates during the pre-election period

Candidates at local and Parliamentary elections can use certain rooms for public meetings in the run-up to the election.

Suitable meeting rooms include those that are wholly or partially maintained by public funds, including all schools that are community, foundation, voluntary or academies. A meeting room is any room that would commonly be let out for public use.

These rooms can be used for local elections from the last day for the submission of nominations. For more information please visit -  Rooms for use by candidates during the pre-election period.

12 June 2024

General Election Candidates Announced for Ribble Valley Voters

The UK goes to the polls in a General Election on Thursday, 4 July, and Ribble Valley residents are reminded that they will be voting in a new constituency.

The forthcoming General Election will be fought on new constituency boundaries, which have been redrawn to reflect population changes and distribute the number of voters more equally.

Residents in the former Ribble Valley constituency will now vote in one of two new constituencies: Pendle and Clitheroe, or Ribble Valley.

Six candidates have lined up for the Ribble Valley constituency and nine for the Pendle and Clitheroe constituency.

The list of candidates, or statement of persons nominated, for Ribble Valley is available at ribblevalley.gov.uk.

The list of candidates, or statement of persons nominated, for Pendle and Clitheroe is available at pendle.gov.uk.

The constituency you will vote in is set out on poll cards, which are currently being delivered to every registered elector in Ribble Valley.

The traditional poll card has been changed to an A4 letter in an envelope with the message: Your poll card is enclosed / Do not lose your right to vote.

The card sets out which constituency you will be voting in and where your polling station is, as well as how to vote by post or proxy.

If you choose to vote in person, don’t forget you now have to show photo-ID – a comprehensive list of accepted ID, which includes passports, driving licences and bus passes, is set out on the back of the letter.

If you do not have one of the accepted forms of ID, you can apply for free photo-ID, called a voter authority certificate.

To apply for a voter authority certificate, you will need to provide a photograph, your full name, date of birth, the address at which you are registered to vote and national insurance number or other form of proof of identity, such as a birth certificate, bank statement or utility bill.

The deadline to apply for a voter authority certificate is 5pm on Wednesday, 26 June, but you are asked to apply as soon as possible in case Ribble Valley Borough Council needs to check any details with you.

To apply for a certificate, go to www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID, or you can download an application form and send it to Electoral Services, Ribble Valley Borough Council, Council Offices, Church Walk, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 2RA.

You can also phone the council’s electoral services team on 01200 414411 or 01200 414426 to book an appointment to complete the form in person.

• Don’t forget to vote you must be registered to vote. It only takes five minutes to register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. Please make sure you are registered to vote before applying for a voter authority certificate. The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday, 18 June, and the deadline for new postal vote applications is 5pm on Wednesday, 19 June.

10 June 2024

Ribble Valley goes to the polls in a General Election on Thursday, 4 July.

And Ribble Valley residents are reminded that they will be voting in one of two new constituencies: Pendle and Clitheroe, or Ribble Valley.

If you are voting in the Ribble Valley constituency, everything you need to know will be available on this page.

If you are voting in the Pendle and Clitheroe constituency, everything you need to know is available on Pendle Borough Council’s elections page.

The constituency you will vote in is set out on poll letters, which are currently being delivered to every registered elector in Ribble Valley.

The letters set out which constituency you will be voting in and where your polling station is, as well as how to vote by post or proxy, if you are unable to vote in person.

5 June 2024

A parliamentary election will take place on Thursday 4 July for the election of a Member of Parliament for the Ribble Valley constituency.

How to Stand as a Candidate

Nomination packs will be available for collection from Monday 3 June 2024, from Electoral Services, Council Officer, Church Walk, Lancashire BB7 2RA.  Please contact  Electoral Services if you wish to collect a pack.

The nomination period will open at 9am on Monday 4 June (subject to the Writ being received on Friday 31 May) and will close at 4pm on Friday 7 June 2024.  Further information for candidates and election agents, and nomination forms, are also available from the Electoral Commission

Register to vote

You can register to vote online or contact Electoral Services and request a paper copy of the form.  The deadline to register to vote at these elections is midnight on Tuesday 18 June 2024.

Overseas Voters

Overseas voters can also register to vote online.  Due to the short timescales, we are recommending that overseas voters appoint a proxy to vote on their behalf as we cannot guarantee that a postal vote would reach them in time.

Who can vote

To vote at these elections, you must:

• be registered to vote
• be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
• be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
• be resident at an address in the UK or living abroad and registered as an overseas voter
• not be legally excluded from voting

Voting by post

Voters who were already registered to vote by post by will be sent a postal poll card with information about their postal vote.  If you wish to cancel your postal vote and vote in person at your polling station, you must notify Electoral Services before 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.

If you wish to apply to vote by post, you must submit your application before 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.  You can apply for a postal vote online here.

If you require a postal vote because you will be away on election day but are going away before they are posted (around 19 June), you may wish to consider voting by proxy instead.  if you wish to vote by proxy, you must submit your application before 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.  If you are already registered to vote by post, you must cancel your postal vote before 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024 if you now wish to vote by proxy.  You can apply for a proxy vote here.

When will I receive my postal vote?

If you are already registered to vote by post , your postal vote will be sent around 19 June 2024 by first class mail.  If you have registered to vote by post more recently your postal vote may be sent in a second issue at a later date.

If you have not received your postal vote by Friday 28 June 2024 please contact Electoral Services.

How do I complete my postal vote?

When you receive your postal vote, read the instructions carefully.  Your postal vote includes the ballot paper and a postal voting statement.  You can only vote for 1 candidate in this election.  Complete both of these and return them straight away.  Completed postal votes need to be returned to the Returning Officer by 10pm on Thursday 4 July 2024.  If you miss the post you can hand your completed postal vote into any polling station in the Ribble Valley Parliamentary Constituency or at Council Offices, Church Walk, Clitheroe. 

Please note that due to new regulations introduced by the Elections Act you will need to complete a form to hand in with your postal vote, please do not post any completed postal votes through the letterbox at our offices as your vote will be rejected.

Please also note that you will not be able to hand in postal votes for any other parliamentary constituencies (i.e Pendle and Clitheroe) at the Council Offices or Ribble Valley polling stations.

If you need help to vote, you can ask someone you know or get independent help by contacting Electoral Services.

If you lose your postal vote or make a mistake, contact Electoral Services straight away.  A replacement postal vote can only be issued between Friday 28 June and 5pm on Thursday 4 July 2024.

Voting by proxy

If you will be away or cannot go to the polling station on 4 July, you can apply to vote by proxy.  This means someone else can vote on your behalf.

Completed applications must reach us before 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.  Your appointed proxy must attend your polling station to vote on your behalf.  If they are unable to attend your polling station they can apply to vote by postal proxy but they must do so before 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.  You can apply to vote by proxy here.

If after 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024 you:

• you cannot vote in person because of a medical emergency or disability
• you cannot vote in person because of your employment
• the photo ID you were planning on using to vote has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed
• you’ve not yet received a new or replacement photo ID you’ve ordered

you can apply to vote by emergency proxy.  This means someone else can vote on your behalf.  The deadline for completed applications is 5pm on Thursday 4 July 2024.

Voter ID

You will need to photo ID with you to vote in person in these elections.  Details of the types of ID which are acceptable and how to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if you do not have the required photo ID can be found here

Accessibility

Polling Stations have been equipped to ensure so far, a possible that they are accessible to all.  If however, you require any additional reasonable adjustment to be made please contact Electoral Services.

3 June 2024