Voters need photo ID to cast ballot in Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner election on Thursday May 2

By Stewart Carr, Local Democracy Reporter

Published: 16:10, 01 May 2024

| Updated: 17:49, 01 May 2024

Voters in Thursday’s (May 2) Hertfordshire Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) election must present photographic ID at their polling station before they are allowed to vote.

The deadline for those without suitable documentary evidence to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) expired on April 24.

Those who have lost their photo ID, including a VAC, can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5pm on polling day. Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.

Conservative Jonathan Ash-Edwards, left, and the Green Party’s Cllr Matt Fisher

Four candidates are vying to succeed David Lloyd – who has stepped down after serving three terms since 2012 – to take the reins as Hertfordshire’s next Police and Crime Commissioner: Conservative Jonathan Ash-Edwards, Green Party’s Matt Fisher, Labour’s Tom Plater and Liberal Democrat Sean Prendergast.

No women are standing in Herts, although tackling violence against women and girls has been cited as a priority among candidates.

The vote for police and crime commissioners has traditionally had a low turnout. For the first PCC election in 2012, just 14.1% (119,158) of the electorate participated. In 2016 this increased to 28.1% (237,303) and in 2021 it rose further to 36.9% (319,609).

Liberal Democrat Cllr Sean Prendergast, left, and Labour’s Cllr Tom Plater

The votes in this year’s poll will be counted on Saturday (May 4).

There are no local elections for Hertfordshire County Council. The next county council election will be on Thursday May 1, 2025, for all 78 seats.

However, there are votes taking place for all wards of North Herts District Council, Stevenage Borough Council and most wards of St Albans City & District Council.

A third of seats on Broxbourne Borough Council, Three Rivers District Council, Watford Borough Council and Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council will also be up for grabs.

All seats on East Herts Council and Bishop’s Stortford Town Council were contested at elections in May 2023.

Polling stations will accept the following as proof of identification: Passport, driving licence (including provisional licence), blue badge, certain concessionary travel cards, identity card with PASS (Proof of Age Standards Scheme) mark, biometric immigration document, defence identity card, certain national identity cards.

If an accepted form of ID is out of date, it can still be accepted if the likeness is true.

Bishops Stortford Crime Elections Politics Sawbridgeworth Stewart Carr, Local Democracy Reporter