The information on this page is from the letter sent to residents who are clinically vulnerable
Advice for clinically extremely vulnerable people on voting in the elections on 6 May 2021
On Thursday 6 May 2021, voters in Cornwall will go to the polls for Police and Crime Commissioner, Unitary, Town and Parish elections. These elections will take place at a time when Covid-19 continues to present risks to public health.
We are writing to you because you have previously been identified as clinically extremely vulnerable, and therefore advised to take precautionary shielding measures. The information in this letter aims to support you in making the right decision for you about how to vote in May.
Voting at a polling station
Polling stations will be open on 6 May and will have safety measures in place; so should you wish, you will be able to vote in person. If voting in person, you are encouraged to keep yourself and others safe at the polling station by:
- Wearing a face covering
- Bringing your own pen or pencil
- Cleaning your hands when entering and leaving the polling station
- Keeping a safe distance
Voting by post or by proxy
If you would prefer not to do so, though, there are different ways to vote – you can vote by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, which is known as a proxy vote.
If you already have a postal or proxy vote arrangement in place, and your details have not changed, you don't need to take any action. If in doubt, you can check with us at 0300 1231 115.
Voting by post
If you want to vote by post, please apply now. This will help us to send you your postal vote more quickly once the candidates for the elections are confirmed.
Please download, print and fill in a postal vote application form. You will be asked to give your date of birth and signature. This is a security measure, used to confirm your identity when you send in your completed postal voting pack. This information does not affect the secrecy of your vote.
Once you have completed the form and signed it, send it to the Electoral Registration Officer at 3S, County Hall, Truro TR1 3AY.
Alternatively you can scan or take a picture of the completed form and send a copy as an email attachment (as a PDF or JPEG file) to voter-registration@cornwall.gov.uk.
The deadline to apply to vote by post is 5pm on 20 April.
If you register to vote by post, we will send you the postal voting pack approximately 10 working days before polling day, which will include your ballot papers and instructions for how to complete and return your vote.
Further information, and the necessary forms, can be found on the website of the Electoral Commission at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter
Proxy voting
If you aren’t able to vote in person, you can ask someone you trust to cast your vote for you. This is called a proxy vote and the person casting your vote is often referred to as your proxy. They can either go to your polling station to cast your vote, or can apply to vote for you by post. Your proxy must be registered to vote in these elections.
To apply for a proxy vote, complete the form to vote by proxy, explaining why you can't get to your polling station in person. Once you have completed the form and signed it, send it to the Electoral Registration Officer at 3S, County Hall, Truro TR1 3AY.
Further information, and the necessary forms, can be found on the website of the Electoral Commission at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter
We hope this information helps you in choosing the way to vote which suits you this May. Please also remember that, in order to vote – whether at a polling station, by post, or by proxy – you must first be registered to vote. You can do this online in just 5 minutes at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
