Early voting got off to a brisk start yesterday, with Cambridge voters taking the opportunity to cast their votes in advance of polling day as part of a government-backed trial.
Three voting hubs across the city opened their doors to voters at 9am on Thursday (30 April) and saw a steady stream of early voters visiting across the day.
Registered voters can also opt to cast their vote early today (Friday 1 May) and on Saturday 2 May, from 9am-6pm at any one of three locations in the city:
- The Guildhall (Peas Hill entrance, Market Square, Cambridge CB2 3QJ) in the city centre
- Meadows Community Centre (299 Arbury Road, CB4 2JL) in the north of the city
- Clay Farm Centre (Hobson Square, Trumpington CB2 9FN) in the south of the city.
Vicky Jenner, Electoral Services Manager at Cambridge City Council, said: “The first day of early voting at the Guildhall, the Meadows and Clay Farm was busier than we expected, which is very encouraging, and suggests that offering people the chance to vote in person before polling day at a centralised voting hub is an appealing option for many. We received some very positive feedback from early voters, and in fact some people were so keen to take part that they were queuing outside at 9 o’clock on Thursday morning, waiting for the doors to open!”
“We were eager to get involved in the government’s early voting trial to help find out how voting can fit in better with people’s lifestyles, particularly in a place like Cambridge which has a diverse population and where people have lots of conflicting commitments. Ultimately, giving people more options for how they can cast their vote is about strengthening democracy and enabling even more people to get involved in important decisions affecting their lives and the place they call home.”
Cambridge City Council was selected as one of only four local authorities in the country to trial more flexible ways of voting in person at this year’s local elections, as part of a new Government-backed pilot to encourage greater participation in democracy by modernising the voting experience, while keeping elections secure, transparent and trusted. The early voting pilot is using approved and secure digital technology to ensure that no one is able to vote more than once.
Eligible voters in Cambridge will still be able to vote in the usual way at their allocated polling station on polling day, Thursday 7 May.
For more information on the early voting pilot visit www.cambridge.gov.uk/early-voting
