Easy News: UK General Election 2024 to take place on July 4th
Easy News: UK General Election 2024 to take place on July 4th
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1: General Election announced
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On 22nd May 2024, the UK Prime Minister, Rishi Sunak, announced the next General Election would happen on 4th July 2024.
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The General Election is when people in the UK aged over 18 can vote for which party is in power and who becomes the next Prime Minister.
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Autistic people, people with learning or physical disabilities, and people who do not have mental capacity all have the right to vote.
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Voting is important. It is a chance to say how you think the country should be run.
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The winner of the General Election will make decisions on issues like social care, housing, education, employment, and the environment.
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Anyone who wants to vote in the General Election needs to be registered to vote. You can register to vote on the Government website.
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You can vote in person, by post, or by proxy. Proxy means that someone else can vote for you.
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You can only vote by proxy if you will be away on polling day, are registered as an overseas voter, have a medical issue or disability, or cannot vote in person because of work or military service.
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2: Registering to vote
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The deadline to register to vote in person is Tuesday 18th June 2024.
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The deadline to register to vote by post is Wednesday 19th June 2024.
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The deadline to register to vote by proxy is Wednesday 26th June 2024.
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3: Photo ID
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The rules on voting changed in 2023 and it is now only possible to vote in person if you bring certain types of photo ID, also called Voter ID.
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You can see a list of what Voter ID is allowed on the My Vote My Voice website.
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4: Voter Authority Certificates
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If you do not have any of the forms of photo ID listed, you can ask for a free Voter Authority Certificate on gov.uk.
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The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Wednesday 26th June, but you should apply as soon as you can.
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You cannot get a Voter Authority Certificate on election day.
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5: How you can stay up to date with election information
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For useful, easy-read guides about voting, including how politics works, how to vote and how to support others to vote, you can visit theMy Vote My Voice website.
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In the weeks leading up to the election, the different political parties will start telling people what they plan to do if they win the election – these are called policies.
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A political party is a group of people who share similar views and want to make decisions about the way the country is run.
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Easy News and My Vote My Voice will try to explain some of the ideas being shared by the main political parties over the next 6 weeks.
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