Voting Information
How to Vote
You can vote in the following ways:
At your polling station
Prior to polling day you will receive a Poll Card which will contain your own unique electoral register reference number and tell you where you should go to vote. To find out where your polling station is please use the where to vote page.
Voting at a polling station is very straightforward and there is always a member of staff available to help.
Postal voting
Postal voting is available to anyone, whatever the circumstances. You can apply for a postal vote for a particular election, for a set period of time. To apply, please contact your local electoral registration office. Postal voters are required to provide a signature and give their date of birth on the application form. This information is used as a security measure to prevent anyone else using your vote.
Further information can be obtained from your local Electoral Registration Office.
Proxy voting
Proxy voting is available to people who cannot reasonably be expected to attend their polling station at elections because they will be away from home temporarily on the date of the election.
Long - term proxy is available to people who cannot reasonably be expected to attend their polling station at elections because they suffer from a physical incapacity, or their employment duties, or attendance on a course of study takes them away from home.
Anyone can act as your proxy as long as they are eligible to vote in the election and they are willing to vote on your behalf.
Further information can be obtained from your local Electoral Registration Office.
On Election Day
On an Election Day, unless you have a postal or proxy vote, you should go along to your polling place to cast your vote. Each polling place will be open from 7am to 10pm to allow sufficient time for everyone to vote. Please make sure beforehand that you are registered to vote!
Your poll card tells you where you should go to vote. It is likely to be a school or a community building near where you live.
Once inside the polling place, there may be more than one polling station. Street lists will help you identify where to go.
At the polling station staff will ask for your name and address and check that you are on the register.
Voter ID
For UK Parliamentary elections only, you will be need to bring photo ID. If you don't have the accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
Find out more about accepted forms of photo ID, how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate, and what to expect on polling day.
You can show them your poll card, although you do not necessarily need this to vote. They will then hand you a ballot paper or papers relevant to the election taking place and direct you to a polling booth.
In the booth you should mark the paper appropriately, first reading any instructions on the ballot paper or displayed on the walls. The booths are there for you to mark your vote in private.
Do not mark the paper other than as indicated otherwise your vote may not be counted.
Then fold the ballot paper, walk over to the ballot box and show polling staff the back of the ballot paper (so they know it is authentic) and place it in the box.
In larger Polling Places, there may be an information officer who can answer any questions you may have about the voting process. If you think you may need particular help, please see information for Voters with Disabilities.
Contact
In relation to registering to vote you can find out more information about this on our How can I register to vote page.
General Enquiries:
For further information on how to vote, please contact our Election Team.