Democracy

One week to Register to Vote

Your vote matters - don't lose it

You must have registered to vote by 12 April to vote in the Borough Council elections on 2nd May.

If you are not registered you can register online to vote in a matter of minutes. You will need to give your name, address and National Insurance number. If you do not have your National Insurance number you can still apply to register you will be asked to provide more information.

Register on-line at gov.uk/register-to-vote

You can contact the Electoral Services Office for Ashford by phone,
01233 330402, if you want to discuss any issues around your registration or, to view the current electoral register, call into their office at after first telephoning for an appointment.
Civic Centre
Tannery Lane
Ashford
Kent TN23 1PL .

Please note they will not discuss your registration with anyone else including family members. If you have made an application it may take several days for us to process especially at busy periods; there is no need to reapply.

Postal and Proxy Voting

If you are not able to get to your polling station on the day of the election you may wish to apply to vote by post or proxy. For more information on postal and proxy voting, or to download an application form, please see your vote matters.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote for these elections is 5pm on Monday 15 April 2019.

If you have a postal vote you cannot vote in person at the polling station, you must use your postal vote.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote for these elections is 5pm on Wednesday 24 April 2019.

If you are given a proxy vote and your proxy is not able to attend your polling station on election day then your proxy can make a separate application to vote as proxy by post but please note the deadline for your proxy to apply to vote by post is 5pm on Monday 15 April 2019.

There is also an emergency proxy facility for cases where there is a medical emergency or if you are suddenly called away for your employment. The medical emergency or employment reason must have occurred after the deadline for ordinary proxy applications has passed.

Your application will need to be signed by someone else to support your application. Only certain people can sign as a supporter and details are included with the application form.

Borough Council Election Candidates

The following candidates have been nominated for election to the Ashford Borough Council Wards in South Ashford.

Name of
Candidate
Home Address Description
Beaver Ward
DOBSON
Rob
30 Pittlesden, Tenterden,
Kent, TN30 6HJ
Conservative Party
Candidate
HODGKINSON
Amanda Georgina
Flat 4 Oakleigh House,
Watercress Lane, Ashford,
Kent, TN23 5EL
Conservative Party
Candidate
PIZZEY
Maria Ann
24 Lynsted Close, Ashford,
Kent, TN23 5RZ
Green Party
SUDDARDS
Lyn
35 Queen Street, Ashford,
TN23 1RF
Labour Party
TAYLOR
Thomas Norman
Festival Cottage, Colt Estate,
Pluckley Road,
Bethersden, TN26 3DD
UK Independence
Party
WARD
Alexander
94 Sir Bernard Paget Avenue,
Ashford, TN23 3RY
Labour Party
Norman Ward
ARNOLD
Al
(Address in Ashford) Green Party
BURGESS
Neil Robert
73 Hillbrow Lane,
Ashford, TN23 4XW
UK Independence
Party (UKIP)
JONES
Dylan Alexander
40 Copperfield Close,
Kennington, Ashford,
Kent, TN24 9RJ
Labour Party
WEBB
Jenny
7 Upper Denmark Road,
Ashford, TN23 7TZ
Conservative Party
Candidate
Victoria Ward
ADBY
Jeremy Paul
14 Church Yard,
Ashford, Kent, TN23 1QG
Conservative Party
Candidate
BRIDGER
Matthew James
(Address in Ashford) Conservative Party
Candidate
FARRELL
Dara
38 Luddenham Close,
Ashford, Kent, TN23 5SE
Labour Party
MBALI
Charlotte
23 Western Avenue,
Ashford, TN23 1LY
Liberal Democrats
SMALL
Jonathan
57 Weavers Way,
Singleton Farm,
Ashford, Kent, TN23 5DY
Green Party
STEWART
Peter Alexander
Childrens Farm Bungalow,
Norton Lane, St Michaels,
Tenterden, Kent, TN30 6TB
UK Independence
Party (UKIP)
SUDDARDS
Charles
35 Queen Street, Ashford,
Kent, TN23 1RF
Labour Party
TAYLOR
Ann Marie
The Festival, Colt Estate,
Pluckley Road,
Bethersden, TN26 3DP
UK Independence
Party (UKIP)

Where candidate election statements have been provided, they can be accessed by clicking on the candidate’s name. Some of these statements are on the candidate’s or party’s website. Candidate’s representing the same party in any ward may provide common statement.

We would be pleased to post the statements for any of the candidates listed. Candidates should contact us to arrange for statements to be posted.

Voters should remember that Ashford Borough Council’s principal services are housing, leisure and recreation, environmental health, waste collection, planning applications, strategic planning.

ABC Elections

Some of the candidates for the election of councillors to Ashford Borough Council in May are beginning their campaigns.

Following the Electoral Review of Ashford Borough in 2016/17 there will be substantial changes to the wards in South Ashford. Make sure you know which ward you will be in.

When the candidates have been announced we will publish their details.

If you haven’t alread done so, Register now to Vote:

www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Respond to your Annual Enquiry Form

The Electoral Registration Officer for Ashford has sent an annual enquiry to the addresses of all registered voters in Ashford.

You must respond to this form even if there are no changes to make:

  • by completing the hard copy and returning it,
  • completing the information online at the address given on the form
  • providing the information by phoning the number given

If you do not respond members of your household will be removed from the Electoral Register, so you will not be able to vote in future elections, and you could be fined £1000.

Did you know?

Many organisations rely on your being on the Electoral Register as evidence of your identity.

  • In one example a family were not permitted to stay in planned holiday accommodation because they were not on the Electoral Register.
  • You are unlikely to be able to open a bank account, take out a loan or mortgage or get a credit card if you are not registered to vote

Am I registered?

If you do not receive an Annual Enquiry Form or have any questions about Electoral Registration you can contact Electoral Services on 01233 330402. Please note Electoral Services will not discuss your registration with anyone else including family members.

LGBCE sticks with draft proposals

ABC warding proposal for South Ashford

LGBCE Final Recommendations for wards in South Ashford

The Local Government Boundary Commission for England (LGBCE) have published their Final Recommendations for ward boundaries for Ashford Borough Council (ABC).

The arrangement, fails to address the issues created by the shape of Victoria Ward and creates a worse situation than the existing boundaries. There is a now a smaller area of Watercress with only tenuous links to the remainder of the ward and a larger area north of the railway line, which as well as the Town Centre includes the new Crescent West development, Godinton Road and adjacent streets and the whole of Cobbs Wood industrial estate.

South Ashford Community Forum had put forward proposals for more compact, separate wards for South Ashford and Ashford Town Centre but LGBCE have adopted the arrangement originally proposed by ABC.

Election Results

The results of the General Election and Victoria Ward By-election are:

Ashford constituency results

Name of candidate Party Votes  % of Votes
Damian GREEN Conservative  (Elected) 35,318  59
Sally GATHERN Labour 17,840  30
Adrian GEE-TURNER Liberal Democrat 3,101  5
Gerald O’BRIEN UKIP 2,218  4
Mandy ROSSI Green 1,402  2
The turnout was: 68.69%

Damian Green is therefore re-elected as MP for the Ashford constituency.

Victoria ward results

Name of candidate Party Votes
Charles SUDDARDS Labour  (Elected) 1,052 45
David ROBEY Conservative 753  32
James GALLOWAY Liberal Democrat 260 11
Serge GOLDENBERG UKIP 181 8
Maria PIZZEY Green 99 4
Turnout was 56.82%.

Charles Suddards now joins Cllr Dara Farrell (Labour) as ward member for Victoria.

Your vote matters

Your vote matters - don't lose itWhatever you are doing tomorrow, remember to take time to vote in the General Election and, if you live in Victoria Ward, the Ashford Borough Council By-election.

If you need help at the polling station please ask. You can be accompanied by a companion if you need their assistance.

Polling stations are open from 7:00am to 10:00pm. The address of your Polling Station is shown on your Polling Card. You can also find the location from the search facility on the Ashford Borough Council website – www.ashford.gov.uk/where-can-i-vote

You do not need your Polling Card to vote but you must be registered to vote.

If you have applied to vote by post, you cannot vote in person at the polling station. However, on polling day you can return your postal vote to the polling station (before 10pm) or to the Returning Officer at Ashford Borough Council (before they close) if you do not want to post it or it is too late to post it. It should be sealed in the return envelope provided.

The Candidates for the General Election and Victoria Ward By-election are listed in our post of 12 May 2017 https://southashford.org.uk/index.php/2017/05/12/election-candidates-announced/

#YourVoteMatters #GE2017

Election campaign literature

We noticed a number of comments on social media regarding the lack of information relating to the candidates for the recent Kent County Council Election.

We have asked all of the parties fielding candidates for the Ashford Constituency for the General Election and the Ashford Borough Council By-election for the Victoria Ward to provide us with pdf copies of their campaign leaflets. Those that have been provided can be viewed from the links below.

Neither South Ashford Community Forum nor the South Ashford website supports any of the candidates nor their parties for either election, nor do we accept any responsibility for, nor necessarily agree with, the information provided by the candidates.

General Election

Name of Candidate Party Literature
GATHERN Sally Labour Party Not yet available
GEE-TURNER Adrian John Liberal Democrats View
GREEN Damian Conservative Party Not yet available
O’BRIEN Gerald Michael UKIP View
ROSSI Mandy Green Party View

By-election

Name of Candidate Party Literature
GALLOWAY James Angus Liberal Democrats View
GOLDENBERG Serge UKIP View
PIZZEY Maria Ann Green Party View
ROBEY David Conservative Party Not yet available
SUDDARDS Charles Labour Party Not yet available

As we do not want this website used for political debate, comments are disabled on this post.

Last chance to register for elections

Your vote matters - don't lose itIf you want to vote in the General Election or
the Victoria Ward by election
you must be registered by 11:59pm tonight.

Register now:

Online

You will need to provide your national insurance number to register. This can be found on your national insurance card if you have one, or on paperwork such as your payslip, letters about benefits, tax credits and some pension documents. Please make sure you enter it correctly as it will be checked before you can be registered.  If you do not have a national insurance number you can still use the website to make an application but it will ask you to give a reason and you may be contacted for more details.
www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Telephone

the Electoral Services Office on 01233 330402,

Write to

Electoral Services
Ashford Borough Council
Civic Centre
Tannery Lane
Ashford
Kent
TN23 1PL

Am I already registered?

It is not possible to check online whether or not you are already registered. You can contact Electoral Services on 01233 330402 if you want to discuss any issues around your registration or call into our offices to view the current electoral register. Please note Electoral Services will not discuss your registration with anyone else including family members.

Electoral registration

About My Vote www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/register-to-vote

gov.uk www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Ashford Bourough Council www.ashford.gov.uk/electoral-registration

#YourVoteMatters

Voters with no fixed address

Your vote matters - don't lose itYou can still register to vote even if you do not have a fixed address. This may be because you are:

  • A patient in a mental health hospital
  • Homeless
  • A merchant seaman
  • Part of the gypsy or travelling community
  • Living on a boat or other moveable residence
  • A person remanded in custody

If you are staying at an address for an extended length of time then you can be considered as residing there and can register for that address. This could be a hospital, hostel, prison facility or similar place.

You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

If you do not have a permanent address, you can register at an address where you spend a substantial part of your time or have some connection. This could be a previously permanent address, shelter or similar place.

You can register by filling in a form called a ‘Declaration of local connection’. You can download a Register to vote form (no fixed address) from gov.uk. There are two forms – one for people in England and Wales and one for people in Scotland. Alternatively, you can get the form from your local electoral registration office:

Telephone

the Electoral Services Office on 01233 330402,

Write to

Electoral Services
Ashford Borough Council
Civic Centre
Tannery Lane
Ashford
Kent
TN23 1PL

You can read more detailed information relevant to you on the Your Vote Matters website
www.yourvotematters.co.uk/can-i-vote/registering-to-vote-with-no-fixed-address

You must register to vote by the coming Monday, 22 May, to vote in the General Election or the Victoria Ward By-election