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Portchester East By-Election - Thursday 20 October 2022
Elected members (Local Councillors and MPs)
Elections employment opportunities
Electoral registration and voting
Local Government Boundary Review
Timetable of proceedings
| Event | Deadline Date |
|---|---|
Publication of Notice of Election  (17 KB) |
Wednesday 14 September 2022 |
| Receipt of Nominations | 04:00 pm Friday 23 September 2022 |
| Withdrawal of Candidate | 04:00 pm Friday 23 September 2022 |
| Appointment of Election Agents | 04:00 pm Friday 23 September 2022 |
| Publication of Notice of Election Agents (59 KB) |
04:00 pm Friday 23 September 2022 |
| Publication of Statement of Persons Nominated (13 KB) |
04:00 pm Monday 26 September 2022 |
| Last Date for Registration | Tuesday 4 October 2022 |
| Receipt of Postal Vote Applications | 05:00 pm Wednesday 5 October 2022 |
| Publication of Notice of Poll (22 KB) |
Wednesday 12 October 2022 |
| Receipt of Proxy Vote Applications | 05:00 pm Wednesday 12 October 2022 |
| Appointment of Poll and Count Agents | Thursday 13 October 2022 |
| First Day to Issue Replacement Lost Postal Ballot Papers | Friday 14 October 2022 |
| Last Day to Issue Replacement Spoilt or Lost Postal Ballot Papers | 05:00 pm Thursday 20 October 2022 |
| Receipt of Emergency Proxy Vote Applications | 05:00 pm Thursday 20 October 2022 |
| Day of Poll | 07:00 am to 10:00 pm Thursday 20 October 2022 |
| Return of Election Expenses | Thursday 24 November 2022 |
When you vote in person, you go to the polling station allocated to you based on your address on the electoral register.
Before you go to vote, check where your 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 have to go to your allocated polling station - you can't go to a different one close to where you work, for example.
The Where Do I Vote? website is really useful as you can find your current polling station simply by entering your postcode.
You polling station will, however, be shown on your poll card, which you will receive through the post a few weeks before polling day.
Polling Stations are open from 7am to 10pm on polling day. They can get busy, particularly towards the end of the day. If there is a queue at your polling station, you will still be able to vote as long as you joine the queue before 10pm.
If you know that you won't be able to get to the polling station on polling day, you can vote by post.
You can apply for a postal vote because you're away on holiday or because your work schedule means you can't get to the polling station. You can also choose to vote by post simply because it would be more convenient for you.
You can apply for a postal vote for a particular election or referendum, for a specific time period or for a permanent postal vote. Please note that you will need to complete a new postal vote application if you move house.
To apply for a postal vote, simply call the Elections team on 01329 824588 or email elections@fareham.gov.uk and you will be sent a personalised postal vote application form and a pre-paid reply envelope. Alternatively, you can download a generic application form here Application to vote by post (electoralcommission.org.uk) 
Once your postal vote is set up and the ballot papers are ready, they will be sent directly to your home, along with a pre-paid return envelope for you to send back before election day.
If you know that you won't be able to get to the polling station on polling day and you have missed the deadline to apply for a postal vote, you can ask someone you trust to cast your vote for you. This is called a proxy vote and the person casting your vote is often referred to as your proxy.
Please contact the Elections team on 01329 824588 or email elections@fareham.gov.uk if you would like to set up a proxy vote.
If you are interested in becoming a candidate, an overview document for candidates and agents is available from the Electoral Commission.
Candidates and their agents must follow certain rules set out in legislation. The following guidance from the Electoral Commission should help with any questions you may have:
Part 1 - Can you stand for election?
Part 2a - Standing as an independent candidate
Part 2b - Standing as a party candidate
Part 3 - Spending and donations
Part 5 - Your right to attend key electoral events
Part 6 - After the declaration of result
This candidate briefing presentation (300 KB) gives a clear overview of the election process. This covers information on various topics including a `who's who', the Election Timetable, nomination forms, registering to vote, campaigning do's and don'ts, Polling Stations, the Count and Spending Returns.
The Notice of Election was published on Tuesday 13 September. From this date you can formally submit your documents, although please note this is by appointment only.
The deadline for receipt of nominations is 4pm on Friday 23 September.
Candidate packs are available for collection from the Civic Offices on request to the Elections team and contain all the nomination papers and appointment forms that you will need. Alternatively, you can download the documents for printing and completion directly from the candidate page of the Electoral Commission's website.
As usual, we are offering a 'soft' check service to check your nomination papers for validity prior to formal submission. The quickest and easiest way to do this is by emailing your completed documents to arickman@fareham.gov.uk.
When submitting your papers for the informal check, please make sure you leave yourself enough time to make any corrections before formal submission.
The deadline for submitting nominations is Friday 23 September at 4pm and the papers must be hand-delivered to a member of the elections team in the Civic Offices reception area. You must make an appointment to ensure there is somebody available to see you. Please email elections@fareham.gov.uk or call 01329 824588 to book your slot from 10am-4pm before 23 September.
We have included a useful guide (678 KB) produced by the Association of Electoral Administrators to assist you in the completion of your nomination papers.
If you are standing as a candidate in the Portchester East ward and you require a copy of the register and/or the absent votes list, please complete and submit the following request forms:
The last day to appoint the above agents is Thursday 13 October. Please complete the following appointment forms and email to elections@fareham.gov.uk
Appointment of postal vote agents
Appointment of counting agents
Candidates, election agents and counting agents attending the count will receive a ticket through the post.
Candidates and agents must make a declaration of expenses incurred and an agent must make a return of expenses. The spending limit per candidate is calculated by adding together a fixed amount (£806) and a variable top up that takes into account the number of registered electors in the ward (7p per local government elector). The candidate spending limit for this Portchester East by-election is £1420.88.
Election Notices will be published here when available:
Notice of Postal Vote Opening sessions (58 KB)
Publication of Notice of Election Agents (59 KB)
Publication of Statement of Persons Nominated (13 KB)
Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations (22 KB)
All households in Fareham are sent correspondence every summer to check the electoral register is correct for that address. We have to send this each year by law and there is usually a legal requirement to respond. Details of what to do and how to respond are on your form. The easiest and quickest way to respond is online at www.householdresponse.com (you will need to enter the security codes from your form).
If a household does not respond when required, an authorised electoral canvasser will visit the property to confirm details (even if they remain unchanged). This process is also required by law.
If a councillor leaves their seat during the course of their term, a casual vacancy occurs. This could be due to: the resignation of a councillor; the death of a councillor; the disqualification (or ceasing to be qualified) of a councillor; a failure to take up office.
Please see current Notice of Vacancy for the Portchester East Ward (12 KB).
Tel: 01329 824588
Election Services, Fareham Borough Council, Civic Offices, Civic Way, Fareham, Hampshire PO16 7AZ
Monday to Friday 8:45am-4:45pm
The Returning Officer for Fareham needs people to carry out various duties at election time which is nearly always the first Thursday in May. This may involve working at a polling station which is open from 7am to 10pm, assisting with postal votes or counting ballot papers.
(65 KB) (63 KB) (60 KB) (18 KB) (20 KB) (18 KB)If you are at least 18 years old and interested in working for us at election time please complete an Application Form for Election Duties
It is important that you know if you are eligible to vote and if you are to make sure you are registered to vote at your address. If you have moved house you need to Register to Vote , even if you pay Council Tax at your new property, because nobody is automatically registered to vote. Registering is easy - you can register online or you can call the elections office for a paper form to be posted to you. You will need your national insurance number, date of birth and address. Please follow the links below to find out more:
(all application forms can be scanned and e-mailed to us or posted)
The electoral register is updated every month and these updates are also sent to credit reference agencies once a month. There are cut-off dates listed below so you can see the deadlines that apply to each monthly update. Most applications go through without needing evidence of identity (this is done via your national insurance number and date of birth) but sometimes ID is needed and you will be notified in writing if this applies to you.
Once your application has been accepted and no-one has objected to your application you will appear on the electoral register on the next publication date. You will be notified in writing when this happens. Please note that in the run up to an election, you will only be able to vote in that election if your name has been added to the register at least 12 working days before the election. The monthly register publication dates are:
| To appear on this month's register (publication date): | You must have applied to register to vote by this date (conditions apply): |
|---|---|
| Thursday 1 December 2022 | Tuesday 22 November 2022 |
| Tuesday 3 January 2023 | Monday 12 December 2022 |
| Wednesday 1 February 2023 | Tuesday 10 January 2023 |
| Wednesday 1 March 2023 | Tuesday 7 February 2023 |
| Monday 3 April 2023 | Friday 10 March 2023 |
| Tuesday 2 May 2023 | Thursday 6 April 2023 |
| Thursday 1 June 2023 | Wednesday 10 May 2023 |
| Monday 3 July 2023 | Friday 9 June 2023 |
| Tuesday 1 August 2023 | Monday 10 July 2023 |
| Friday 1 September 2023 | Thursday 10 August 2023 |
| Monday 2 October 2023 | Friday 8 September 2023 |
| Wednesday 1 November 2023 | Thursday 10 October 2023 |
| Friday 1 December 2023 | Wednesday 22 November 2023 |
| Tuesday 2 January 2024 | Monday 11 December 2023 |
There are two versions of the register - the full register and the open register. The full register is strictly controlled and can only be used for elections, detecting crime such as fraud, calling people for jury service and credit referencing. The open register is optional so you can choose not to be on it. The open register can be sold on to third parties such as businesses and charities. If you chose not to be on the open register your right to vote will not be affected. To check if you are on the open register or to opt-out please contact the elections office. You will need to opt-out again if you ever need to re-register such as when you move home.
The Open Register is the version of the electoral register that can be sold on to third parties (such as marketing companies). It only contains names and addresses (telephone numbers and e-mail addresses are never included). Most voters are automatically included in the open register unless you have opted out. Opting out of the open register does not affect your right to vote or credit score. To check your current status or to opt out simply call the Elections team on 01329 824588 or e-mail elections@fareham.gov.uk and we will be happy to help.
Please be aware that political parties and election candidates still have access to your name and address, and whether you have a postal vote, even if you have opted out of the open register. This is legal entitlement and not something you can opt out of. Parties and candidates are restricted by law to only use your details for election purposes (e.g. campaigning) and cannot pass your details on to a third party.
Electoral Services will only use your information for electoral purposes and it will be kept secure in accordance with data protection legislation. The lawful basis to collect your information is that it is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest and exercise of official authority as vested in the Electoral Registration Officer as set out in the Representation of the People Act 1983 and associated regulations. The Electoral Registration Officer is the Data Controller: Peter Grimwood, Civic Offices, Fareham, Hants, PO16 7AZ, tel 01329 236100. Please see the Fareham Borough Council Privacy Notice for further information relating to the processing of personal data.
Click here to register to vote . You will need your date of birth and national insurance number and it only takes around 3 minutes. To verify your identity, the data you provide will be processed by the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service managed by the Cabinet Office. As part of this process your data will be shared with the Department of Work and Pensions and the Cabinet Office suppliers that are data processors for the Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service. You can find more information about this here .
If you are interested in standing for election, you can find all the important guidance and paperwork you will need at www.electoralcommission.org.uk . Please also contact elections@fareham.gov.uk or 01329 824588 to be kept up to date with relevant local information such as deadlines and briefings.
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