Elections are taking place in every area of Ipswich on Thursday 4 May to elect councillors to Ipswich Borough Council.
To vote, a person who can vote (and who is called an elector), needs to be registered. Registration for the Thursday 4 May Elections close at 11:59pm on Monday 17 April.
Priory Heath elections
Residents living in the Priory Heath ward of Ipswich will be taking part in two different elections on 4 May – one for the Suffolk County Council by-election and one for Ipswich Borough Council.
Voters will receive two separate poll cards, one for each election - these are not duplicates.
Postal voters will receive two separate postal vote packs containing two different ballot papers – these are not duplicates.
Polling Stations
When you vote in person, you go to your allocated polling station, which is based on your address on the electoral register. Your poll card, which is posted to you a few weeks before polling day, tells you where your allocated polling station is. It might not be the closest one to where you live and it might have changed since the last time you voted. You must go to your allocated polling station and not another one, for example because it is close to where you work or where you go shopping.
You can use Find your polling station to lookup your allocated polling station or visit: https://www.ipswich.gov.uk/elections
A poll card does not need to be taken to the polling station to be able to vote. Make sure you have an accepted form of Photographic ID or your Voter Authority Certificate with you before you go to the polling station.
How to vote at your polling station
Postal vote
If you are registered to vote and are not already a postal voter and you want to vote by post in the 4 May election, you must submit a postal vote application form using this Application to vote by post form. The deadline to apply for a postal vote for this election is 5pm on Tuesday 18 April 2023.
Once completed, you can scan or photograph the form, then send it to us online or it can be posted to the address below.
Anyone can apply to vote by post, you do not need to give a reason.
Proxy vote
If you are not able to vote in person at your polling station and do not want to vote by post, someone else can vote for you. You select the person who you want to be your proxy and tell them how to cast your vote.
You can use this Proxy vote Application form to make a Proxy vote application (for a particular election) Once completed, you can scan or photograph the form, then send it to us online or it can be posted to the address below.
If you are registered to vote and are not already a postal voter, you can submit a proxy vote application form before the deadline at 5pm on Tuesday 25 April.
If you move house, you should register to vote again. You will also need to complete a new postal or proxy application if you choose to vote by this method.
If you change your name for any reason, you need to contact Electoral Services at the Council to request a change of name form and make a new postal or proxy application in your new name.
Ipswich is divided into 16 wards which each elect 3 councillors to a total of 48 councillors.
The elections are organised by Ipswich Borough Council. The Council can be contacted to find out if you are registered or with other queries such as about postal and proxy votes at:
Ipswich Borough Council
Electoral Services
Grafton House
15-17 Russell Road
Ipswich
IP1 2DE
Email: elections@ipswich.gov.uk
Ipswich Borough Council,
Electoral Services,
Grafton House,
15-17 Russell Road,
Ipswich,
IP1 2DE
01473 432000
