Local elections 2022: Am I registered to vote and what can I do if I’m not?

Britons return to the ballot box across the country on Thursday 5 May

Voters across the UK will head to the polls on Thursday 5 May for another round of local elections.

More than 4,000 council seats in England are being contested, 1,200 in both Scotland and Wales and all 90 seats of the Northern Ireland Assembly in contention.

Most of those seats were last fought in 2018, when Theresa May was still prime minister, Jeremy Corbyn and Sir Vince Cable were her challengers, Britain was still in the European Union and both the coronavirus pandemic and war in Ukraine were inconceivable to most.

Now, with lingering anger over “Partygate” compounded by the eruption of new Westminster sleaze allegations and concern over the cost of living crisis only growing, the public is widely expected to cast its ballots as a verdict on Boris Johnson’s scandal-ridden leadership.

Around 48.8 million people have registered to vote, according to the Office for National Statistics, with the deadline passing on 14 April in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and on 18 April in Scotland.

Here is everything else you need to know about your voting status ahead of Election Day 2022.

Britons return to the ballot box across the country on Thursday 5 May (EPA)

Am I registered to vote?

If you are unsure whether you are registered to vote or not, you can check by contacting your local Electoral Registration Office.

You can find yours by visiting clicking here and entering your postcode.

Where is my nearest polling station?

If you are registered, you should have already received a polling card through the post informing you of the location of your nearest ballot box.

If you have mislaid the card or are otherwise unsure, you can also find out by checking with your local council or by entering your postcode here.

You do not need to bring your polling card with you in order to vote as it is not recognised as proof of registration.

What if I’m not registered to vote?

Given that the deadline to register to vote in the 5 May local elections has now passed, it is now too late for you to cast a ballot this time around.

But you can still register to vote in future elections, so long as you are:

• A British citizen
• An Irish or EU citizen living in the UK
• A Commonwealth citizen who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission
• A citizen of another country living in Scotland or Wales who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission

Anyone wishing to join the electoral register and participate in future polls can do so by clicking here.

The registration process usually takes around five minutes to complete and you will be asked for your National Insurance number, although you can still register if you do not have it to hand.

For more on this year’s local elections, The Independent has all you need to know about voting, how you can find out about what is happening in your local area, more information on the national picture by region, as well as a guide to when the results will be announced.

We will be covering the local elections in depth this week and liveblogging both voting day and the aftermath on Friday once the results have been counted and compiled.