VOTERS will have the power to change the complete make-up of Southampton City Council at this election.

The authority is having its first all-out election in more than 20 years with every seat up for grabs.

Ward sizes are also changing and an entirely new ward with three new councillors has been created following recommendations by the Local Government Boundary Commission for England.

Here is everything you need to know about May’s (2023) all-out elections.

What exactly is going on?

The LGBCE found that Southampton had ‘high levels of electoral inequality’ and therefore recommended the ward boundary changes.

Many of the wards in Southampton have changed size and there has been the creation of an entirely new ward right in the centre of the city: Banister and Polygon ward.

As every ward in the city has three councillors representing it, three new councillors are needed from May to represent the new ward, putting up the total to 51 councillors.

This has led to the need for an all-out election.

In normal years, only one councillor from each ward (a third of the total) has to re-stand and in the fourth year there is no election, so a new councillor serves a term of four years.

This year every seat is available and residents will vote for whichever candidates are standing for each of the three seats in their ward.

Can I register to vote?

Every resident of Southampton can register to vote in the May elections providing they are:

  • 16 or over (but you cannot vote until you are 18).
  • British or qualifying Commonwealth citizens. This means Commonwealth citizens who have permission to remain in the UK or do not require such permission.
  • Citizens of the Republic of Ireland or other European Union (EU) member states.

How do I vote?

Firstly, you have to register to vote. The deadline to register to vote in the May local elections is 11:59 on Monday the 17th of April 2023. You can do this on the ‘register to vote’ section of the council website.

You can either vote at a polling station or by post.

To vote at a polling station, you simply turn up on the day (with photo ID) and cast your vote.

You can find your closest polling station on the ‘find your polling station’ section of the council website.

If you want to vote by post you have to apply for a postal vote on the council website.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote in the local elections on Thursday, May 4 2023 is 5pm on Tuesday, April 18.

You can fill out the postal vote application form on the Electoral Commission website. A link to this can be found on the postal voting section of the city council website.

Once you’ve filled out the form, you send it to the following address: Electoral Registration Officer, Southampton City Council, Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LY.

You will receive your ballot paper in good time before the elections.

Fill it out, following the instructions in the pack – and put it in the postbox. (The address is already on the outer envelope).

Your postal vote needs to be with the elections team at your local council by 10pm on polling day to be counted.

If you can’t post your postal vote pack in time, you can take it to your polling station or to the council itself on polling day.

You can also vote by proxy. This is when you give permission to have someone else vote on your behalf and can be either at a polling station or by post.

You must apply for a proxy vote by filling out a form on the Electoral Commission website which can be found on the ‘proxy voting’ section of the council website.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote in the local elections on Thursday the 4th of May 2023 is 5pm on Tuesday the 25th of April 2023.

This is where you send your form: Electoral Registration Officer, Southampton City Council, Civic Centre, Southampton, SO14 7LY.

What if I live in the new Banister and Polygon Ward?

If you live in the new Banister and Polygon Ward, which is located in the current area consisting of upper Bargate, Eastern Freemantle and Western Bevois, you will be voting for three new councillors for the new ward, not the three new councillors for whichever ward you were in.

If you normally go to a polling station which is for one of these three wards, you may need to go to a different or new polling station which is designated for the new Banister and Polygon ward.

To avoid confusion, make sure you read the polling station designated for you in your voting pack or by checking the ‘find a polling station’ section on the council website.

What if the boundary change has put me into a different ward?

At various locations across the city, some wards have shrunk and some have grown, taking over parts of other wards, so again, your normal polling station may not be the right one to use in this coming election.

Some residents will now be in different wards to what they have been in for the last 20 years or longer and therefore voting for different seats.

Do I need photo ID to vote this year?

Yes. This has now become the law. If you do not bring your photo ID to the polling station you will not be able to vote.

A full list of accepted forms photo ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website electoralcommission.org.uk

If you do not have an accepted form of photo ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate on the government’s website at gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate

Applications must be submitted by 5pm on April 25 .

Can I vote for multiple parties?

In normal years, each resident gets to vote for just one councillor to fill one seat in each ward.

As this year residents are voting for three seats, each with candidates from multiple parties, so residents will be casting up to three votes.

So yes, you can vote for whoever you want. One Conservative, one Labour, one Lib Dem, or three Conservative, or one Green and no one else, or any other combination. The choice is completely yours.

Can I cover my face when showing ID at the polling station?

If you wear a burka or any other religious item that covers your face, there will be a designated private area to show your face at the polling station when showing ID.

When will I hear the results?

Vote counting is set to take place on Friday May 5 - a day after polling day.

Declarations will follow the count.