STROUD District Council staff are election-ready – and have all the information you need if you’re unsure about voter registrations, and postal and proxy votes.

The general election, which is the third in four-and-a-half years will take place in just over a months’ time.

Stroud District Council received the official writ for the general election yesterday following the dissolution of Parliament.

Issued by the Clerk of the Crown, the writ is the official request for a Parliamentary election to be run in the Stroud constituency.

Writs have been delivered to all local authorities across the UK, representing the 650 constituencies served by Westminster.

Kathy O’Leary, chief executive of Stroud District Council and the Acting Returning Officer for the Stroud constituency said: “Taking receipt of the writ marks the formal start of the election process and places a great duty of responsibility on councils to ensure that resources are in place to facilitate the democratic process of electing MPs.

"This could be a potentially life-changing election and I hope as many people as possible take the opportunity to exercise their democratic right by voting on the 12 December.”

The vast majority of the residents in the district will be voting to elect a Member of Parliament for the Stroud constituency, however Minchinhampton, Kingswood and Wotton-under-Edge residents come under the catchment for The Cotswold Parliamentary constituency.

81,000 poll cards are due to be dispatched to the Stroud Constituency’s registered voters next week and the council is keen to ensure that anyone entitled to vote does not miss out.

Here’s all you need to know about registering to vote in the general election 2019:

Who needs to register?

If you have never voted, have moved address recently or have turned 18 recently then you will need to register by midnight on Tuesday 26 November.

You can even register if you are 16 or 17 but you will need to have turned 18 before the election date to be eligible to vote.

You can make sure you are registered to vote by visiting www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and completing the relevant forms, you will need your national insurance number and date of birth in order to complete the registration process.

Applications to register must be received by 26 November 2019.

If you are not sure whether or not you are registered, you should check by calling Stroud District Council on 01453 754886.

What if I am away on 12 December?

If you are not going to be able to visit a polling station on polling day to cast your vote then you can make alternative arrangements to vote by post or proxy (where someone is appointed to vote on your behalf). More information on voting by post or proxy including application forms is available on www.stroud.gov.uk/elections or alternatively you can contact the elections office on 01453 754886 or email elections@stroud.gov.uk.

Applications can be returned as scanned images to the above email address or by post to Electoral Services, Stroud District Council, Ebley Mill, Ebley Wharf, Stroud, GL5 4UB.

Postal votes will be dispatched in two tranches. Any elector who has registered for a postal vote before the 6 November 2019 will receive their postal vote around the 23 November 2019. Any elector applying to vote by post between the 6 and the 26 November should expect to receive their postal vote around 28 November 2019.

Applications for voting by post must be submitted accurately by 5pm on 26 November 2019.

Applications for voting by proxy must be submitted accurately by 5pm on 4 December 2019.

A guide on how to complete your postal vote is included with your postal vote.

If you do not receive your postal vote, a replacement cannot be issued until the 6 December 2019. We recommend that you visit the Council Offices, Ebley Mill, Ebley Wharf, Stroud, GL5 4UB, bringing photographic ID with you, to obtain a replacement postal vote rather than rely on another to be posted to you given how close to polling day it is.

What if I live abroad?

You can register as an overseas voter for up to 15 years after you left the country, if you are a British citizen and you have been registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years (or if you were too young to register when you left).

If you are serving in the armed forces abroad there is a special form you can fill out here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote-armed-forces. Likewise, if you are a Crown servant and British Council employee working abroad: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote-crown-servants-british-council-employees.

What and who am I voting for?

Political Parties and Independent candidates wishing to stand for election will submit nomination papers, including the details of individual candidates, to the Acting Returning Officer by 4pm on the 14 November 2019. At 5pm on that day, a full list of those who will be standing for election will be published on Stroud District Council’s website.