PEOPLE have been urged to make sure they are registered to vote before the April 16 deadline.

The deadline to register to vote in the May 2 local elections is midnight on 16 April. Voters can apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. It takes just five minutes.

Voters have a range of options – they can vote in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 17 April. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is a week later, 5pm on 24 April.

This May, voters will need to show photo ID to vote at a polling station. This is a new requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act. To find out which ID you can use in the polling station, visit the Electoral Commission website.

If you do not have one of the accepted types of ID, you can apply for free ID at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate or by completing and submitting a paper form to your local authority. You must apply by 5pm on 24 April, to be able to use the Voter Authority Certificate on 2 May.

Dr Lorraine O’Donnell, Electoral Registration Officer for City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council, said: “Don’t lose your chance to have your say at elections in May. Local elections are an important opportunity to have your say on who represents you and makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life here in Bradford district. If you’re in doubt about whether you need to register to vote, or have questions about how to apply for a postal or proxy vote, or free ID, you can contact Bradford Council on 01274 431360 or by email on electoralservices@bradford.gov.uk”