The official list of candidates for two significant elections related to the Ashfield district have been released tonight (Friday). Two ballots will take place on Thursday 2 May, to elect a new Police and Crime Commissioner, and also the first ever executive East Midlands Mayor.
Six candidates, including one from Sutton in Ashfield, are vying to become the East Midlands Mayor – a new position which is part of an East Midlands devolution settlement, freeing up billions of pounds of government money for the areas served by Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire County Councils, and Nottingham and Derby City Councils.
The six candidates are:
- Frank Adlington-Stringer
From Chesterfield in Derbyshire
Green Party - Ben Bradley
From Newark and Sherwood in Nottinghamshire
Conservative Party - Alan Graves
From South Derbyshire
Reform UK - Matt Relf
From Suttin in Ashfield in Nottinghamshire
Independent - Helen Louise Tamblyn-Saville
From Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire
Liberal Democrat - Claire Margaret Ward
Newark and Sherwood in Nottinghamshire
Labour and Co-operative Party
The race to become the next Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) is being contested only by candidates representing England’s three main political parties. The candidates include the current PCC, Caroline Martin, who is seeking to retain her position.
The three candidates are:
- Gary Anthony Godden
Labour and Co-operative Party - Caroline Elizabeth Henry
Conservative Party - David Kenneth Watts
Liberal Democrats
All three candidates live in the Nottinghamshire Police area.
Polling stations will open between 7.00 am and 10.00 pm on Thursday 2 May. Eligible residents must be registered to vote by 11.59 pm on Tuesday 16 April.
If you wish to request a postal vote, or change an existing postal vote arrangement, you must do so by 5.00 pm on Wednesday 17 April.
Voters will also need valid photo ID (see below) to cast a vote in a polling station. People who don’t have a document on the list can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. The deadline for doing so is 5.00 pm on Wednesday 24 April – but you must be registered to vote first.
The gov.uk website has online forms that you can use to
- register to vote https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
- apply for a postal vote https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote; and
- apply for a proxy vote https://www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote
Further information is available on the elections pages of Ashfield District Council’s website, or you can contact the helpful staff in the elections team by email or online form.
The only forms of ID that can be accepted at the polling station are:
- 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 (including an Irish Passport Card)) - 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 funded by the UK Government
- Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
- Oyster 60+ Card funded by the funded by the UK Government
- Freedom Pass
- Scottish National Entitlement Card issued for the purpose of concessionary travel (including a 60+, disabled or under 22s bus pass)
- 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- 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
Ashfield Neighbour News will bring more updates on the elections as we approach 2 May.