Local elections will be held around England and Wales in May 2023, with the BCP area being one of those places.

All 33 wards within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, as well as the Grange ward within Christchurch Town Council will have elections.

The last full council elections were held in May 2019, and if you want to have your say in this one then you'll need to register to vote if you haven't already.

Information on how to do that as well as further queries can be found below.

Bournemouth Echo: The deadline to register to vote is approachingThe deadline to register to vote is approaching (Image: Richard Crease)

How to register to vote

To be eligible to vote in these elections you need to be:

  • living and registered to vote at an address in Bournemouth, Christchurch or Poole
  • 18+ years old
  • British, Irish, a Commonwealth citizen or a European Union citizen (living in the UK)

If you meet that criteria and are not registered to vote already you can do so from the Government website here.

This will need to be done by Monday, April 17 ahead of the elections on Thursday, May 4.

Who is standing in the BCP local elections?

A list of candidates for the 33 wards within Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council can be found at the website here, whilst the candidates for the Grange ward within Christchurch Town Council can be found at the website here.

Voters will need ID for the first time in May local elections

For the first time ever, voters across the UK will be required to show ID to vote in elections.

You can use any of the following acceptable forms of photo ID when voting at a polling station:

  • Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
  • Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence)
  • A Blue Badge
  • Older Person’s Bus Pass
  • Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
  • Freedom Pass
  • Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
  • Biometric immigration document
  • Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
  • National identity card issued by an EEA state
  • Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
  • Voter Authority Certificate
  • Anonymous Elector's Document

You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy.

You can still use your photo ID if it's out of date, as long as it looks like you.

The name on your ID should be the same name you used to register to vote.

If you don't have an accepted form of photo ID you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.