Robert Lloyd - a Sir Gar Blog of random news . . . and some Clecs!

With under two months to go to the local elections people in Carmarthenshire are being urged to ensure they are registered to vote. On May 4, electors will have the chance to vote for who they want to represent them. Elected councillors will stay in local government for five years. Carmarthenshire County Council’s electoral services division works to support elections and referendums. People who are not registered or have moved recently need to register before Thursday, April 13 in order to vote - it can be done online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote . Alternatively, contact Electoral Services on 01267 228889. Electors can vote in person at a polling station between 7am and 10pm. You will be sent a poll card around the 24 March telling you where your polling station is. If you lose or don’t receive a polling card contact the electoral services office before the 13 April. Those who require a postal vote for this election, must complete and send an application to the Electoral...

A series of special roadshows are being held across Carmarthenshire to help residents find out how they can vote in this year’s upcoming elections. Residents are encouraged to visit the informative events which are being held outside Carmarthen market on Wednesday, April 6, Llanelli town centre on Thursday, April 7 and Ammanford town centre on Friday, April 8 from 11am-2pm. The aim of the events is to promote and increase the number of votes at the upcoming Welsh Assembly Election and Police and Crime Commissioner Election, both of which take place on Thursday, May 5. To be able to take part in these elections, you must be registered to vote by Monday, April 18 at the latest. During the road shows, you will also be able to find out the various voting options available that suit your needs best, ensuring you don’t lose your vote. This includes voting at your designated polling station on May 5, by post and by proxy (where someone votes on your behalf). If you’re not sure if you are al...

There is less than a week to get your application in to vote by proxy for the 2015 UK general election. You can apply to vote by proxy for various reasons including if you are suddenly taken ill up until polling day. Once you’ve applied, your proxy will be sent a proxy polling card, telling them where and when to vote and must go to your local polling place to vote. You must let your proxy know how you want them to vote on your behalf, for example, for which candidate or party. If you are able to go to the polling station on election day, you can still vote in person as long as your proxy has not already done so. In addition, you can also apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day if your occupation, service or employment means that you cannot go to the polling station in person, and you only become aware of that fact after 5pm, six working days before polling day. Applications for a proxy vote must be submitted to Carmarthenshire County Council by 5pm on Tuesday,...

People can find out information on voting and polling stations at an event taking place in Llanelli at the end of this month. Carmarthenshire County Council’s Electoral Services Manager Amanda Bebb will be at The Hub  in Stepney Street all day on Monday, March 30. She can check if people are registered to vote in the next parliamentary election on May 7. If they are not, Amanda can register them. People can also apply to have a postal vote, discuss any support they may need, or ask any questions about their local polling station. Amanda said: “I hope people take the opportunity to come along, I am happy to discuss any queries regarding elections or the voting process. “We encourage everyone to use their vote, so we need to ensure as many people as possible are registered, and that they have all the information they need to make choices about their preferred method of voting.”

Registering to vote is now simpler than ever under a new online system which has been launched today by Minister of State for Cities and the Constitution Greg Clark. From today, people will be able to register to vote online in just three minutes by simply providing a name, address, date of birth and National Insurance number. The online registration service has been extensively tested with real users over many months and today’s live service is compatible with all platforms, including smartphones and tablets, meaning maximum convenience when registering. Minister of State at the Cabinet Office Greg Clark said: “This service will bring voter registration into the 21st century and make it easier, simpler and faster for people to register to vote. “Putting public services online is saving taxpayers money and giving people access to services when and where they need them.” The launch of the new online tool is part of a wider move to Individual Electoral Registration (IER), where...