Register in time to vote on 6 May 2021

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 20 April

On Thursday 6 May residents across Greater Manchester will have their say on who represents them in the Greater Manchester Mayoral and local council elections.

In order to vote in these elections and in order to have their say on who makes important decisions affecting them, residents must be on the electoral register.

With the deadline to register to vote approaching, residents not already registered at their current address are urged to make sure they are registered in time.

The deadline to register is midnight on Monday 19 April. It takes just five minutes to apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

This year residents in the Rochdale borough will be voting in two elections:

• Rochdale Borough Council. Councillors are elected to represent their local area and residents, and contribute to the development of local policies in areas such as social care, housing, planning, highways, and education.
• The Mayor for Greater Manchester Combined Authority. The Mayor is a major figure in the political life of the city-region, with unique powers and responsibilities. This includes setting budgets and priorities for Greater Manchester’s public services including transport, housing and planning, the fire and rescue service, Police and Crime Commissioner responsibilities, and acting as an ambassador for the city region.

There are different ways to vote in the elections: at your local polling station, by post or by proxy (appointing someone to vote on your behalf). The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 20 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on 27 April.

To find out how to apply for a postal vote or proxy vote visit: www.rochdale.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections

Significant efforts have been made to ensure that all polling stations are Covid safe so voters should not be concerned about using them. Voters and staff will be required to wear a face covering (unless they are exempt), observe social distancing and use hand sanitiser which will be made available. Voters can bring their own pen or pencil should they wish to do so.

The local election count will take place overnight on Thursday 6 May, whilst the count for the Greater Manchester Mayoral election is is set for Saturday 8 May.

More information about the elections taking place in Greater Manchester, including information about registering to vote and applying for a postal or proxy vote can be found at gmelects.org.uk.

You can view the candidates standing in the local council election in 2021, here:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/elections/candidates/35