Voters have been sent a poll card which will tell them where they should go to cast their vote. Voters will be allocated to a polling station based on their home address. 

Staff will be on hand to assist voters with any questions about filling out their ballot paper. There are also a number of things that will be available at polling stations to help people cast their vote, including large print sample ballot papers and tactile voting devices to help those with a visual impairment.  

Voters will be casting the ballots in the first elections for the new Cumberland Council as well as for any local by-elections being held in their area. 

Andrew Seekings, Returning Officer for the Cumberland Council elections, said:  
“Make sure you check the information on your poll card, as your polling station might have changed since the last election. You do not need your poll card to vote, but we encourage you to bring it with you to make the process quicker and more efficient.” 

Ailsa Irvine, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance at the Electoral Commission, said:  
“Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 5 May. Voters who have opted to vote by post must return their postal ballot pack by 10pm; they can hand it in at their polling station if they don’t have time to return it by post.” 

Those voting in person on 5 May might see some public health measures in place at polling stations, similar to those in place in other indoor venues. Election staff will be following the latest public health guidance to make sure polling stations are safe places to vote.  

If you are self-isolating or become unwell as a result of Covid-19, you don’t need to lose your vote. Voters have up to 5pm on polling day to apply for an emergency proxy vote. This allows them to nominate someone they trust to vote on their behalf. For further information on how to apply for an emergency proxy, voters should contact the electoral registration team at their local council.  

The contact details for each council are:   

•    Allerdale Borough Council area: 0303 123 1731 or email electoralservices@allerdale.gov.uk   
•    Carlisle City Council area: 01228 817555/6 or email elections@carlisle.gov.uk  
•    Copeland Borough Council area:  01946 598300 and email is elections@copeland.gov.uk 

More information on the Cumberland Council elections can be found at: www.cumberland.gov.uk. There are some unscheduled by-elections also being held on 5 May 2022 in the Allerdale and Carlisle areas.

More details can be found on the respective council websites.

For further information on elections in their area, voters can visit www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter. This page will continue to be updated ahead of the polls.