Don't lose your voice in May's local elections – that's the message from Cheshire East Council.

There are only a handful of days until the voter registration deadline for the 4th May council elections, and anyone who wants to vote must make sure they are 'election ready' – including having voter ID.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 17th April. Voters can apply online at gov.uk. It takes just five minutes. 

Voters should have now received their polling cards, informing them where their polling station is located.

Voters can either vote in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 18 April. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is a week later, 5pm on 25th April. 

This May, for the first time, voters will need to show photo ID to vote at a polling station. This is a new requirement, introduced by the UK government's Elections Act. To find out which ID you can use in the polling station, visit the Electoral Commission website.

If you do not have one of the accepted types of ID, you can apply for free ID online or by completing and submitting a paper form to Cheshire East Council. You must apply by 5pm on 25th April, to be able to use the Voter Authority Certificate on 4th May. 

Dr Lorraine O'Donnell, Returning Officer for Cheshire East Council, said: "I would urge people to act now – so you don't lose your chance to have your say on 4th May. These elections are your opportunity to have your say on who represents you and makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life in Cheshire East.

"If you are in any doubt about whether you need to register to vote, or if you have any questions about how to apply for a postal or proxy vote, or free ID, please call our elections team on 0300 123 5016.

"Alternatively, information about the new voter ID requirement and all your voting options can be found on the Electoral Commission's website."