Early in-person voting option for city residents

People in Cambridge will be able to cast their vote up to seven days early, in person, in this year's local elections.

The city council said it had been selected as one of five local authorities to test early voting ahead of the ballot on 7 May.

Ordinarily voters can only vote in-person on polling day, with postal votes being offered for anyone who want to cast their vote earlier.

This year, residents in Cambridge will be able to go to three voting hubs on Thursday 30 April, Friday 1 May and Saturday 2 May.

The voting hubs will be at The Guildhall in the city centre, the Meadows Community Centre in the north of the city, and the Clay Farm Centre in the south.

They will be open between 09:00 (BST) and 18:00 and anyone registered can vote at any hub.

The council said the pilot would use "approved and secure digital technology" to ensure that nobody could vote more than once.

Voters will still be able to use their allocated polling station on 7 May and postal and proxy votes will also be available.

Robert Pollock, the returning officer for Cambridge, said: "We all have busy lives that can make it harder for some people to get to a polling station on one specific day.

"I hope the early voting pilot, will give more people more opportunities to participate in our local democracy."

Vicky Jenner, electoral services manager, said: "We are working closely with the government and our suppliers to plan, deliver and evaluate this pilot, with a clear focus on maintaining the security and integrity of the poll.

"We're excited for Cambridge to be at the forefront of these changes to the way we vote, and for our residents to be among the first in the country to take part."

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