Everything you need to know about Oxfordshire May elections

Local elections will take place in Oxfordshire on May 2 for Oxford City Council, West Oxfordshire District Council and Cherwell District Council and people across the county will also able to vote in the police and crime commissioner elections.

The South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse District councils will not be holding local elections after these took place last year.

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Councillors are elected for four year terms and the electoral cycles vary according to the council.

You must be registered to vote

There is still time to register to vote for the May elections but you need to do so by 11.59pm on Tuesday, April 16.

Everyone will be able to vote in the Police and Crime Commissioner election. (Image: Newsquest)

To get on the electoral register you must be aged 16 or over. Anyone over the age of 18 will be able to vote.

You normally only need to register once - not for every election.

You’ll need to register again if you’ve changed your name, address or nationality. 

To register, visit the gov.uk website.

You must have a valid form of photo identification to vote in-person

More than 100 people showed up to vote in the borough elections last year and were not able to because they did not have the correct identification.

There are 22 acceptable forms of ID which include passports and driving licences.

Anyone registered to vote without the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate before Wednesday, April 24.

West Oxfordshire District Council office. (Image: Ed Halford)

The name on the ID should be the same name on the electoral register and photocopies are not accepted.

Voters can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate online or by phoning the council to request an application form by post.

Police and crime commissioner election

This will be held across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire to choose the next police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley region for a four-year term.

The PCC sets the agenda for Thames Valley Police as well as its budget, overseeing their local police force and fire service.

A new PCC is set to be elected. (Image: PA)

The PCC incumbent is Conservative Matthew Barber who was elected in 2021 in an election delayed by the Covid pandemic and a subsequent re-run.

He will be contested by Liberal Democrat Tim Bearder, Labour's Tim Starkey and two independent candidates, Ben Holden-Crowther and Russell Douglas Fowler.

Voting system

Both councillors and the PCC will be elected using the familiar first-past-the-post system where the candidate with the most votes wins.

Many local election results will be announced overnight into Friday, May 3, with more expected to follow throughout the day, and a few to be announced over the weekend.