On Thursday 4 May, residents will go to the polls to have their say on who represents them at a local level.

In Uttlesford, there will be elections to select councillors for all 39 seats on the District Council as well as in the town and parish councils where seats are contested (this means there are more candidates for the town or parish council than there are seats on it).

Here is a rundown of things you need to know before polling day:

Support for voters with disabilities

The Electoral Commission has issued two guides to support voters:

► Voter ID: supporting blind and partially sighted people to vote

► Voter ID: easy read guide for people with learning disabilities

The guides can also be used by supporters of people with a learning disability or sight loss to help the person they support to take part and vote in the elections.

Voter photo ID

These will be the first elections where voters will be required to show photographic identification at a polling station.

Valid forms of voter ID include a passport, driver’s licence and some concessionary travel passes. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo. Photo ID shown MUST be an original document – copies or images on mobile phones will not be accepted.

Find out what is an acceptable voter ID and how to request a Voter Authority Certificate if you have no suitable form of photographic identity.

The deadline to apply for a certificate is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.

Voters will not be required to provide photo ID if they vote by post.

It only takes a few minutes to register to vote

In order to vote in these elections, residents must be on the electoral register.

If you have recently turned 18 or have moved home, it is particularly important that you act to ensure you are registered to vote.

Poll cards

Your poll card will be sent to the address where you are registered. It will say where your polling station is. You can only vote at the polling station that is stated on your own poll card. Poll cards went out to all registered electors on Friday 24 March and a further batch will be going out just after Easter for anyone who recently registered to vote.

Postal and proxy voting

If you are unable to get to your polling station on Polling Day, you can apply for a postal vote or proxy vote (voting by proxy means you give permission for someone else to vote on your behalf).

To ensure your postal or proxy voting application is completed in time for the May elections, you must fill in an application form and return it to the Uttlesford Elections Team by no later than:

  •   5pm, Tuesday 18 April  – Postal votes 
  •   5pm, Tuesday 25 April – Proxy votes 

► Find out how to apply to vote by post

► Find out how to apply for a proxy vote

List of nominated candidates

District council elections

All 22 wards are being contested in the district council elections.

► See the list of nominated candidates for the Uttlesford District Council elections

Town/parish council elections

The following parishes are contested and will have voting on 4 May.

  • Debden
  • Great Dunmow Town Council – South ward
  • Hatfield Broad Oak – Village ward
  • Hatfield Heath
  • Saffron Walden Town Council – all 3 town council wards

► See the list of nominated candidates for the contested town/parish elections

All other parish candidates will be elected unopposed.

► See the list of all nominated candidates for the unopposed town/parish elections

You can find more information on our Local Elections 2023 webpages