Luton Borough Council

08/04/2024 - Candidates declared for Bedfordshire PCC elections

The list of individuals who will be standing in the upcoming Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections across Bedfordshire has been formally announced.

The following four candidates will stand for nomination to this role at elections on Thursday 2 May:

Waheed AKBAR, Workers Party
Festus, AKINBUSOYE, Conservative Candidate - More Police, Safer Streets
Jasbir Singh PARMAR, Liberal Democrat
John TIZARD, Labour & Co-operative Party

The role of the PCC in Bedfordshire is to ensure local police meet the needs of the community. They are responsible for policing, budgeting, appointing the chief constable and engaging with the public on matters related to the police force in the county. To vote in this important election you must be over 18 and registered to vote.

You can vote in a number of ways:

In person

This is done at the polling station on 2 May. To do this you will need to take a form of photo ID, such as a passport or driver’s licence. Find out more about photo ID by clicking here.

By proxy

This is when you choose a person you trust to vote on your behalf, usually because you are unable to get to the polling station yourself. Find out more about voting by proxy by clicking here.

By post

You can also vote by post. This could be because you find it hard to get out or you may not be in Bedfordshire the day of the election. Click here to find out more about postal votes.

You can apply for a postal vote by clicking here. You must do this before Wednesday 17 April

Instead of posting a postal vote it is also possible to hand it in, either at a polling station or at the Town Hall. The rules regarding this have changed this year, click here to find out more.

Anyone handing in postal votes will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal ballot packs for other electors plus their own. When they hand in the postal votes, they will need to complete a ‘return of postal voting documents’ form, which explains why they are handing in other people’s postal votes (where appropriate).

Robin Porter, Police Area Returning Officer, said: “Bedfordshire’s Police and Crime Commissioner has an important role holding our Police Force to account. The elections on 2 May give people in Bedfordshire the opportunity to elect a Commissioner they feel would best serve their needs.

“I would encourage everyone to ensure not only that they are registered to vote, but that they do so on 2 May.”

Voting will take place across all of Bedfordshire on Thursday 2 May. Results from Bedford Borough and Central Bedfordshire will be collated by Luton Council. Votes will be counted on 3 May with the final results expected in the afternoon.