Voters in Herefordshire have been urged to make sure now that they are ready for local elections on May 4.

For the first time, photographic ID will have to be shown in order to vote in county and parish elections.

According to the Electoral Commission website, this can include a passport, driving licence, older or disabled person’s bus pass, or registered blind SmartPass. Only the original ID, not a copy, will entitle the bearer to vote.

Voters who don’t have such photo ID, or who choose not to use this, can apply instead for a free voter authority certificate from www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate. For more information on this, or to request a paper application form, email canvass@herefordshire.gov.uk.

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Voters also need to make sure they are on the electoral roll at their current address, which can be sorted online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. This must be done by midnight on April 17.

Voting can also be done by post, or by appointing a trusted person to vote for you, known as a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on April 18, and for a proxy vote, 5pm on April 25.

Marden parish councillors Chris Wathen, Lesley Hayward, David Bennett, Kate Ryan and Margret Hopkins, all pictured above, have urged local voters the need for voter ID at the village’s new polling station, the Marden Links Community Hub, Walker Green.

This replaces the village’s community centre, which is no longer available for use as a polling station.

Herefordshire has nearly 180 official polling stations in total.

Meanwhile, Conservative county councillors Nigel Shaw (Bromyard Bringsty ward) and Paul Rone (Redhill) have recently confirmed they will not be standing in May.

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