Register to vote

Ensure you have a say

West Lothian voters should look out for their poll cards for the council elections being delivered to their homes.

Keep the card in a safe place and take it along to your polling station on the day of the election, Thursday, May 4. If you are registered for a postal vote, you will not receive a poll card. However, you should expect your postal vote to arrive after Thursday, April 13. You must be registered to vote by midnight on Monday, April 17, if you want to vote. To register, visit www.gov.uk/registerto-vote or call 0131 344 2500. West Lothian’s returning officer, Graham Hope, said: “Whilst it is not essential to have a poll card to vote, it allows polling station staff to ensure that you can cast your vote as quickly as possible. If you are not registered to vote, or aren’t sure, please visit www.gov.uk/register-tovote or call 0131 344 2500.” To register, you must a British Citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the European Union, and normally resident in Scotland. Anyone who will be 16 or over on May 4, 2017, is eligible to vote, and the process has recently changed from household to individual registration, so residents are urged to make sure they are still registered to vote. You can also request a postal or a proxy vote. On the ballot paper, you will be asked to number the candidates in order of your choice.You should put a 1 in the box next to your first choice, a 2 in the box next to your second choice and so on.