Still Time To Have Your Say In May In Local Council Elections
29th March 2022
The Electoral Registration Officer for Highland is reminding anyone who wants to take part in the May local government elections to make sure they are registered to vote by the deadline of midnight on Monday 18 April 2022.
The Scottish Local Government Elections for The Highland Council are taking place on Thursday 5 May 2022 to elect 74 Local Councillors in 21 wards.
Local Councillors are responsible for making decisions on your behalf about local services.
While the election is not until May, planning is already underway to help you stay safe while casting your vote.
There are a number of ways to have your say in the election in May - you can vote in a polling station, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, which is known as a proxy vote. The last date for applying to vote by post is Tuesday 19 April 2022 at 5pm with the deadline for applying to vote by proxy on Tuesday 26 April 2022 at 5pm.
Last month Bill Gillies the Electoral Registration Officer for Highland sent a letter to all households in the Highland area in advance of the elections, to let them know who is registered to vote and who has a postal vote. The letter also gave households further information on how to register to vote, if you are not already registered or how to apply for a postal or proxy vote.
With the deadline fast approaching, Bill said: "There is still time for anyone not yet registered to get this done so they are ready to take part in the May elections. If you are not already registered, you can register online at gov.uk/registertovote - it is easy and takes less than 5 minutes. If you are already registered to vote, there is no need for you to re-register".
Residents can visit the Scottish Local Government elections page at www.saa.gov.uk/h-wi-vjb (external link) to find out more about these elections. The page will be updated with new information as it becomes available. Any residents who have questions can also contact the electoral registration team on 0800 393 783 or by e-mail - ero@highland.gov.uk
The Highland Council's website also has information for voters - https://www.highland.gov.uk/voter
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Households across Scotland have received £4.1 billion in relief since the Council Tax Reduction scheme was introduced in 2013. People on low incomes are eligible for the benefit if they live in Scotland - there is no equivalent in England where most councils require each household to contribute a minimum amount of council tax, irrespective of ability to do so.
The Highland Council is preparing to carry out improvement works in Thurso at Ormlie Road and at The Mall riverside path adjacent to Janet Street. The scope of works on Ormlie Road will include junction improvements between Castlegreen Road and Juniper Drive with new drop kerbs and tactile paving and some surface repairs.
A Highland-wide partnership launched earlier in 2024 to support people on their journey towards, into and within employment is looking forward to a New Year in 2025 full of exciting opportunities designed to help hundreds more people across the Highlands unlock their work potential. Work.
The Highland Council is delighted to share that its Energy Efficient Scotland: Area Based Scheme has won the Outstanding Project Award at the Scottish Green Energy Awards. Described by Scottish Renewables as a "pioneering clean power scheme", this £7 million project demonstrates the incredible impact that can be achieved through combined public and private sector investment.
The ambitious yet focused ‘Highland Investment Plan' is committed to addressing our asset challenges over the next twenty years. By using a place based approach, to ensure a more integrated community offering through the creation of new community facilities.
Applications to the Inverness Winter Payments Scheme, which is fully funded by the Inverness Common Fund, have already been awarded to 1,035 eligible households within the 7 specified Inverness Wards. Leader of Inverness Area, Councillor Ian Brown said: "Since the Scheme was opened to applications for this winter, already £114,885 has been awarded to people who live in the eligible Wards of Aird and Loch Ness, Inverness West, Inverness Central, Inverness Ness-side, Inverness Millburn, Culloden and Ardersier and Inverness South Wards.
The first Highland-wide virtual jobs fair held last month has proved to be a hit with participants and businesses. The week-long virtual event, which was delivered by the Local Employability Partnership for the West - The Highland Council, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Department for Work and Pensions, Developing the Young Workforce and UHI North West and Hebrides was timed to coincide with Scottish Careers Week 2024.
The Service Centre will close at 5pm on Tuesday 24 December, re-opening on Friday 27 December (opening times 8am to 5pm). It will be closed on 1 and 2 January and open 8am to 5pm from Friday 3 January 2025.
Members have considered an update on the Council's medium term financial plan and the impact of the UK and Scottish Governments’ budgets on the coming year’s funding settlement. The position is currently looking more positive than initially planned for, however more detail needs to be worked through.
In November, The Highland Council launched a public statutory consultation to seek views on the proposed introduction of a Visitor Levy scheme across the Highlands. The Council has announced an extension to this consultation period, which will now give businesses, visitors and communities until 31 March 2025, an additional seven weeks, to take part and have their say.
