Emergency Proxy Voting If Isolating In Sussex With Covid-19

Thursday, 6 May 2021 11:38

By John Warburton @Warblefly

A polling station (Photo: © Matt Brown / Creative Commons)

If you've been told to self-isolate, you can still vote in Sussex today by applying for an emergency proxy vote before 5pm.

A new law, passed in February for the pandemic, allows people who must stay home to appoint a proxy as an emergency.

You can do so by clicking here, which takes you straight to the Electoral Commission's application form for a Covid-related emergency proxy vote.

When the law went onto the statute book, Minister of State for the Constitution & Devolution, Chloe Smith, said:

"These elections can and will be delivered in a COVID-secure way and the extended proxy voting rules are a key part of this.

"The new rules will mean that voters who have tested positive for COVID-19, or are self-isolating, can still have their say in these elections without having to leave their home."

The new legislation allows:

All those who are unable to attend a polling station as a result of COVID-19, including those who are shielding, to appoint a proxy beyond the usual deadline.
All those with an existing proxy arrangement to appoint a new proxy up until 17:00 on polling day if their proxy is affected by COVID-19 and are unable to act as a proxy.

Today, residents everywhere except Brighton can vote for East or West Sussex County Councils, who spend most council tax collected in their areas.

There's also voting for the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, for which five candidates are standing.

Polling is also open happening for portions of councils in Adur, Hastings, Crawley and Worthing, plus by-elections elsewhere.

Voting ends at 10pm, though anyone in a queue for a polling station at that time will be allowed in.

Click here for other election information.

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