Notice of casual vacancy – Norcot ward
Notice of election agents’ names and offices
Situation of polling stations – Norcot
Electorate: 7,579
Total votes cast: 1,598
Turnout: 21%
Spoilt: 2
| Candidate | Party | Votes cast | Elected |
| BOTTOM, Jen | Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 28 | |
| FRENCH, Marie | Liberal Democrats | 280 | |
| GULLIVER, Alan John | Independent | 49 | |
| McGOLDRICK, Finn | Labour Party | 929 | Yes |
| SHEPPARD, Lizzy | The Conservative Party Candidate | 209 | |
| WALKEM, Richard Peter | The Green Party | 101 |
The deadline to apply to register to vote is midnight on Tuesday 18 July 2023.
Postal and postal proxy applications must be received by the Electoral Registration Office by 5pm on Wednesday 19 July 2023 (including changes to existing postal, proxy and postal proxy votes)
Proxy applications must be received by the Electoral Registration Office by 5pm on Wednesday 26 July 2023.
The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for the local elections on 3 August 2023 is 5pm on Wednesday 26 July 2023. You need to be registered to vote before you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.
The UK Government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station at some elections. This new requirement will be in place for the Norcot ward by-election on Thursday 3 August 2023.
You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable. You can use any of the following:
For more information on which forms of photo ID will be accepted, visit www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.
If you don’t already have an accepted form of photo ID, or you’re not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. Apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.
Alternatively, you can complete a paper application form and send this to the electoral services team at your local council.
If you need any help with applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or want to request an application form, contact the Electoral Services Team on: elections@reading.gov.uk or 0118 937 3717.
If you have any questions or would like to find out more, go to www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.
On Thursday 3 August 2023, residents in Norcot ward will be voting in a by-election.
There are a number of ways to have your say on 3 August 2023 – you can vote in a polling station, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, known as a proxy vote.
Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.
Please be aware that your polling station and ward name may have changed. We ask you to ensure you check the information on your poll card so that you know where to vote on 3 August 2023.
You don’t need your poll card to vote.
If you don’t have your poll card, you can go to the polling station and give them your name and address. You must remember to take your photo ID with you.
If you haven’t received a polling card but think you should have, please contact us to check your registration on 0118 937 3717 or elections@reading.gov.uk
By emailing a clear photo (taken on a phone is fine) or scan of the document to elections@reading.gov.uk
By sending a photocopy of the document to us by post to: Reading Borough Council, Electoral Services, Civic Offices, Bridge Street, Reading RG1 2LU
Postal and postal proxy applications deadline is 5pm on Wednesday 19 July 2023 including for changes to existing postal, proxy and postal proxy votes.
Proxy application deadline is 5pm on Wednesday 26 July 2023.
To apply to vote by post you need to download, print and fill in a postal vote application form or request for a form to be sent to you by ringing us on 0118 937 3717 or email: elections@reading.gov.uk. Once you have completed the form and signed it, you need to send it to the Reading Borough Council Electoral Services team either via email at: elections@reading.gov.uk or via post: Reading Borough Council, Electoral Services, Civic Offices, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 2LU.
If you’re thinking about voting by post, you can apply to do this now. This will make sure your application is processed early, and your postal vote can be sent to you more quickly once the candidates for the elections are confirmed.
If you are not able to cast your vote in person, 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. The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling station to cast your vote, or can apply to vote for you by post.
To apply for a proxy vote, complete the form to vote by proxy, explaining why you can’t get to your polling station in person or request for a form to be sent to you by ringing us on 0118 937 3717 or email: elections@reading.gov.uk
Please note we do not make up and send postal vote packs from our office, they are made up and sent by our printing company and we have just two scheduled mailings.
Poll cards: 6 July 2023 and 21 July 2023 (N.B. you do not need a poll card to vote)
Postal and postal proxy packs: 21 July 2023
Please note if you have a postal vote in place by 12 July 2023, your postal vote pack will be sent to you on or around 21 July 2023.
If you apply for a postal vote on or after 12 July 2023 but before 5pm on 19 July 2023 your postal vote pack will be sent you on or around 21 July 2023.
However, it cannot be guaranteed that they will be delivered then. Although, they will be sent first class, there is also no guarantee that they will be delivered the day after they have been posted. Therefore, if you are going to be away and the postal papers are due to be sent to your home address you may need to consider changing that arrangement to be on the safe side.
Yes, voting by post is safe and proven cases of electoral fraud are rare. When voting by post, you should mark your vote on the ballot paper in secret and seal the envelope yourself.
You will also be asked to give your date of birth and signature when applying for a postal or proxy vote. This makes postal voting safe, because when you return your postal voting pack your signature and date of birth are checked against those you provided before to confirm your identity.
Your signature and date of birth are separated from your ballot paper before it is looked at or counted, so giving this information will not affect the secrecy of your vote.
Everything you need to know about voting in person. This is a useful guide to what you can expect if you’re voting in person on Thursday 3 August.
If you have registered to vote, you will receive a poll card through the post from Reading Borough Council. It will tell you where your polling station is. Make sure you check your poll card before heading out to vote in case your polling station has changed since you last voted.
Polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm. You can vote at any time within this window. And don’t forget, you need to go to your designated polling station; you can’t go to a different one, for example, near where you work.
It should only take a few minutes to vote. If you are asked to queue, please be patient and we will work to enable you to vote as quickly as possible.
If you are still in a queue waiting to vote at 10pm, you will be able to vote before the polls close.
Polling station staff will be on hand to greet you and invite you in as soon as polls open at 7am.
Once you have shown the polling station staff your photo ID document. The staff will give you a ballot paper listing who you can vote for.
Take your ballot paper into a polling booth. There will be a shelf for you to lean and write on. Use your own pencil or pen, or if you forgot to bring one, ask the poll clerks for one.
Take your time: read the ballot paper carefully and complete it in line with the instructions.
Don’t write anything else on the paper, or your vote may not be counted.
If you make a mistake, don’t worry – as long as you haven’t already put it in the ballot box, just let the polling station staff know and they can give you a replacement ballot paper.
Once you’re done, fold your completed ballot paper in half and put it in the ballot box. This will be on the desk beside the polling station staff.
If you’re not sure what to do, or need any help, just ask the staff at the polling station – they will be happy to assist you.
If you have a disability which means you can’t fill in the ballot paper yourself, you can ask the presiding officer – the person in charge of the polling station – to mark the ballot paper for you, or you can take someone along with you to help you.
If you have a visual impairment, you can ask for a large print ballot paper to refer to when you cast your vote, or a special tactile voting device that is designed so you can mark your ballot paper on your own.
Your vote is yours and yours alone: you do not need to tell anyone how you voted.
Exit polls are sometimes conducted, where people – usually private companies working for newspapers or broadcasters – ask voters leaving the polling station who they voted for to help them predict what the outcome might be. You do not need to respond to their questions if you don’t want to.
Political discussion is not allowed inside and immediately around the polling station and staff will ask you to stop so that there’s no risk of influencing other voters. If you want to debate your vote with friends or family, do it away from the polling station.
You might see people outside the polling station who ask you for the number on your poll card. These people are called ‘tellers’, and are volunteering on behalf of candidates or parties. They will use the information you give them to check who has voted, and to remind people who haven’t yet voted, to do so.
They are allowed to be there and to ask for the information, but you don’t have to give them any information if you don’t want to. If you are concerned about the conduct of a teller, speak to a member of staff at the polling station.
You shouldn’t take photos inside the polling station as it might put the secrecy of the ballot at risk.
You are more than welcome to take photos outside the polling station and share them on social media to encourage your friends and family to vote.
You can go along to the polling station with whomever you like, but only those registered to vote at that station will be able to go inside. You must not be accompanied into the polling booth by another adult, unless you have a disability, in which case you can take someone in to help you, or you can ask one of the polling station staff for their help.
Children are welcome at polling stations. While your child must not mark the ballot paper for you, you will be allowed to take them into the polling booth with you.
Animals, apart from assistance dogs, are not usually allowed inside polling stations, so will need to be secured outside if you do decide to take them with you.