Harehills ❤️ Love

There is an election coming up for Leeds City Council on Thursday, May 7th.

I want to be clear: I will not tell you who to vote for, and I won’t tell you who to vote against. That isn’t my place. Candidates are here to earn your vote, not demand it. As a local blog, my role is to remind you of your options, not to pick a favourite.

Why bother?

Elections are one of the few times we get to raise our voices and say, “I choose this.” The person who wins will represent our neighbourhood for the next four years. They are your voice on the issues that hit home: the funding of our libraries, the safety of our streets, the health of our children, and the services that catch us when we fall.

Even at the local level, this is a heavy responsibility. These decisions affect our day-to-day lives in Harehills more than almost anything else.

A Shared Effort

You aren’t doing this alone. While thousands of us will head to the polls in Gipton and Harehills, millions more are doing the same across the country. We won’t all agree, and the results won’t be unanimous—and that’s okay. Even if your chosen candidate doesn’t win, your vote still sends a message. It lets those in power know that there is a significant group of people concerned about specific issues.

Who are the Gipton and Harehill candidates?

As a neutral blog, I won’t be profiling individual candidates here. However, it is important that you know who is asking for your vote.

You can find a full, impartial list of everyone standing in the Gipton and Harehills ward by clicking the link below (provided by the non-profit WhoCanIVoteFor): See the candidates for Gipton and Harehills

The Practical Bits

This is about you, your family, and your neighbours getting the society you want.

• Register to Vote: You have until midnight on April 20th to register. It only takes five minutes: gov.uk/register-to-vote
• Photo ID: You now need a valid Photo ID to vote in person.
  • Need ID? If you don’t have one, you can apply for a free “Voter Authority Certificate” before the deadline of 5pm on April 28th.
  • Help is available: You can find out more at leeds.gov.uk/elections/voter-id. Community hubs and libraries can also help you with your application if you need it.
• Lost your poll card?: No problem.
  • You do not need your poll card to vote. As long as you are registered and have your photo ID, you just need to give your name and address to the staff at the polling station.
  • If you haven’t received a card or have lost it and aren’t sure where to go, you can find your specific polling station by entering your postcode at:
  • WhereDoIVote.co.uk
  • Electoral Commission – Your Election Information
  • You must vote at your assigned station—you cannot just use any station near your work or the shops

Whomever you choose on election day, let it be the person who best reflects your hopes for our community.

My best wishes to every candidate standing, and to every one of you who goes out to make your mark.

Key Dates & Information

(Source: Leeds.gov.uk)

• Friday 27 March: Poll cards begin being posted to registered electors.
• Monday 30 March: Official pre-election period begins.
• Thursday 9 April: List of candidates standing is published.
• Monday 20 April (Midnight): Deadline for registering to vote.
• Tuesday 21 April (5pm): Deadline for new postal vote applications.
• Tuesday 28 April (5pm): Deadline for free Voter ID (Voter Authority Certificate) applications.
• Tuesday 28 April (5pm): Deadline for proxy vote applications.
• Thursday 7 May (7am-10pm): ELECTION DAY
• Friday 8 May (from 10am): Votes counted and results declared.

A note on Polling Stations:

It is a requirement to establish the identity of all voters using an accepted form of photo ID. To verify identity, polling officials may need to ask voters to momentarily remove face coverings. To ensure everyone feels comfortable, privacy booths will be available at all stations, and you may choose a male or female official to carry out the check.

Remember: It’s okay to take a photo outside like I did, but no photos or selfies are allowed inside the polling station to protect the secrecy of the ballot!”