By election set to take place for Billinghay seat on North Kesteven District council

Four candidates have put their name forward for voters in the Billinghay Rural Ward to choose from.

They are:

- Brand, Anthony – Independent;

- Liles, Wendy Anne – Lincolnshire Independents;

- Whittle, Adrian Michael – Liberal Democrats;

- Wilkes, Andy – The Conservative Party Candidate.

The by-election seeks to fill a vacancy that arose following the death of one of the ward’s district councillors, Gill Ogden, in October.

The ward remains represented by another member, Councillor Sarah Lawrence.

Registered voters across the ward – which includes Billinghay, Martin, Timberland, Dogdyke, Walcott and North Kyme – will be able to vote at a polling station between 7am and 10pm on December 14 or by postal vote if they have made arrangements to have one.

All voters at a Polling Station will need to show one of the required types of photo ID in order to be able to vote. This is a new legal requirement which took effect at the May 2023 elections, but may be new to electors in this ward because the seats were uncontested then.

Electors must first be registered to vote. Anyone needing to register to vote – for example if you have moved house recently, turned 18 or know you’re not registered – the deadline is midnight on Tuesday, November 28. You can check if you are registered to vote by calling 01529 414155. If you are not on the electoral register, you will need to complete a form at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

In order to vote in person, electors will need to bring one form of accepted photo ID to their polling station – such as a passport, photo driving licence, an Older Person’s Bus Pass or Defence Identity Card. The list is the same as applied in the May 2023 elections and can be seen, in full, at www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/voterID

If you don not have an accepted photo ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate at www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate before the deadline of 5pm on Wednesday, December 6. This is a free

photographic identification document specific for the purposes of voting. It will remain eligible for future elections, as long as the photograph continues to bear a likeness to you.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote or to amend or cancel an existing postal or proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday, November 29. You can find out more at https://www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/electoral-registration-

elections/ways-vote-help-voting

Voters can now apply for a new postal vote quickly and easily online at: www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote and paper forms are also available from this website or by contacting Electoral Services if required.

The deadline to apply for a new proxy vote authorising someone to vote in your behalf is 5pm on Wednesday, December 6.

Electors can now apply online for some types of proxy vote here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/proxy-voting-application-forms

For further information, see: www.n-kesteven.gov.uk/billinghayby-election2023.