Spike in voter registrations as deadline arrives for May 2 elections

Anyone not registered to vote in the local, mayoral and police commissioner elections on May 2 has only a few hours left to apply, amid signs of a late surge in interest.

A range of contests are taking place across England and Wales on polling day, with every voter able to take part in at least one type of election.

Nearly 2,700 council seats in England are up for grabs across 107 local authorities, while 37 police and crime commissioners in England and Wales will also be chosen.

Polls are also taking place to elect some of the most high-profile mayors in the country, including Greater Manchester, London and the West Midlands.

People who have not yet registered to vote, or are not sure if they are eligible, have until 11.59pm on Tuesday to submit an application.

This can be done online at

gov.uk/registertovote

.

Around 44 million people are estimated to be eligible to vote in the elections on May 2, but as many as seven million people are either incorrectly registered or missing from the register entirely, according to the Electoral Commission, which oversees all elections in the UK.

Some 43,037 applications were made on Monday, the highest for a single day so far this year and some way above the previous peak of 31,496 on April 2, Government figures show.

An average of 26,968 applications to vote were made per day in the week to April 15, up from 25,552 the previous week and 20,220 a fortnight ago.

Craig Westwood, director of communications at the Electoral Commission, told the PA news agency: “Today is the last day to register to vote ahead of the elections on May 2.

Only people who are registered can have their say on issues important to their local area, so don’t delay.

“Registering to vote is quick and easy – all you need is your name, date of birth, address, and National Insurance number.

“Those previously on the register who have recently moved home or whose details have changed will need to register to vote again.”

All voters intending to cast a ballot in the elections on May 2 will not only need to be registered but also show a form of photo identification at the polling station.

Not all types of photo ID will be accepted, but a passport, driving licence or blue badge are valid.

Anyone without the correct identification will need to apply for a voter authority certificate by 5pm on April 24, which can be done online at gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.

Photo ID rules were brought in as part of the Elections Act 2022, with the Government saying they were necessary to combat the risk of in-person voter fraud.

The requirements were first enforced at last year’s local elections in England.

A report by the Electoral Commission suggested at least around 14,000 people – 0.25% of voters – did not vote in those elections after being unable to show an accepted form of photo ID at their polling station.

Some 33,677 applications for a voter authority certificate (VAC) have been made so far this year, Government figures show.

The average number of VAC applications per day stood at 859 in the week to April 15, down slightly from 865 the previous week, but up sharply from 507 a fortnight earlier.

Just 8% of VAC applications in the most recent week came from people under 25, while 3% came from those aged 75 and over, according to analysis by the PA news agency.

Applications from 55 to 64-year-olds accounted for 29% of the total, followed by 45 to 54-year-olds (22%), 35 to 44-year-olds (17%), 25 to 34-year-olds (12%) and 65 to 74-year-olds (9%).