Rochdale by-election date announced

Voters will be going to the polls on Thursday February 29 in the Rochdale constituency by-election.

The by-election was triggered following the sad death of Sir Tony Lloyd who passed away in January.

Nominations for candidates seeking to stand in the poll are now open, ahead of a closing deadline of 4pm on Friday 2 February.

Steve Rumbelow, returning officer and chief executive of Rochdale Borough Council said: “I will be asking all candidates to ensure this campaign is conducted with dignity and respect. Political debate and freedom of speech is vital but our residents rightly expect that people standing for public office show a sense of responsibility and tolerance for other points of view. It is a short campaign and will no doubt be intense and competitive, but parties and their workers should conduct themselves with respect for the place, its people and each other. With less than a month to go I also urge people to make sure they have everything they need to be able to vote. Have your say and use your vote.”

Annual notification letters have been sent to all households this week showing details of who is registered to vote at your address, so check the details on your letter and if there are changes to report, just follow the instructions on your letter.

You need to be registered to vote and if you’re not already registered the easiest way to register to vote in person, by post or by proxy is at rochdale.gov.uk/RegisterToVote

Visit rochdale.gov.uk/elections to find out more about the by-election. The website will be updated with new information, including candidates as they become available. If you have any questions you can also contact the elections team by emailing elections@rochdale.gov.uk or phone 0300 3030345.