How to vote

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1. Overview

You need to be registered to vote before you can vote in UK elections or referendums.

You need to show photo ID when voting in person in some elections and referendums in England, Scotland and Wales. Check what types of ID you can use before you go to vote.

There are different rules if you vote in Northern Ireland.

This guide is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).

Ways of voting

You can vote:

You cannot vote online in any elections.

Eligibility to vote

You can vote when you’re:

  • 18 years old in England and Northern Ireland
  • 16 years old in Scottish Parliament and local elections (and other elections when you’re 18)
  • 16 years old in Senedd Cymru (Welsh Parliament) and local elections (and other elections when you’re 18)

Elections you can vote in

There are different rules on who can vote in different elections and referendums.

2. Voting in person

You vote in person at a polling station (usually in a public building, such as a school or local hall).

Your poll card

You’ll be sent a poll card just before an election or referendum telling you when to vote and at which polling station.

You can only vote at the polling station location on your card. You do not have to take your poll card with you.

If you have not received a poll card but think you should, contact your local Electoral Registration Office.

You can still vote if you’ve lost your card.

When you can vote

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on the day of an election (‘polling day’).

When you get to the polling station

Give your name and address to the staff inside the polling station when you arrive.

You’ll need to show your photo ID to confirm your identity in some elections and referendums.

You’ll be given a ballot paper containing a list of the people, parties or options you can vote for.

Filling in your ballot paper

Follow the instructions on the notices in the polling booth and on the top of the ballot paper to vote.

Voting if you have a disability

If you have a disability, your local Electoral Registration Office can tell you about:

  • physical access, for example wheelchair ramps and disabled parking spaces
  • low-level polling booths
  • any specific equipment you need

Every polling station must provide at least one large print display version of the ballot paper.

3. Voting by post

You must apply for a postal vote if you want to vote by post, for example if:

  • you’re away from home
  • you’re abroad and want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales

You do not need to give a reason unless you’re voting in Northern Ireland.

Apply for a postal vote

You can apply for a postal vote for one of the following:

  • a single election on a specific date
  • a specific period if you want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales
  • up to 3 years

You can:

There’s a different form to apply to vote by post in Northern Ireland.

Change where your postal vote is sent

Make a new application for a postal vote if you move house or you’ll be away from home when the postal vote is sent out.

There’s a different form for Northern Ireland.

Completing and returning your postal vote

When voting by post, you should:

  • mark your vote on your ballot paper in secret
  • fill in the postal voting statement
  • put the ballot and statement in the envelope provided
  • seal the envelope yourself

Post your ballot back as quickly as possible to make sure it’s counted.

If you’re too late to post your ballot paper

Take it to your local polling station by 10pm on election day, or Electoral Registration Office before they close.

In Northern Ireland, take it to your Electoral Office before they close.

Replace a lost or damaged ballot paper

Your ballot paper needs to clearly display your details and voting choice. If it has been damaged you need to get another one.

You can either:

  • ask your local Electoral Registration Office to post a replacement
  • collect a replacement from your local Electoral Registration Office up to 5pm on election day (or the day before in Northern Ireland)

You cannot vote at a polling station if you registered to vote by post but your ballot paper was lost or damaged.

4. Voting by proxy

If you’re unable to vote in person you can ask someone to vote on your behalf. This is called a proxy vote.

You can only apply for a proxy vote under certain circumstances, including:

  • being away on polling day
  • being registered as an overseas voter
  • having a medical issue or disability
  • not being able to vote in person because of work or military service

Your proxy should be someone you trust to vote on your behalf. You’ll need to tell them which candidate (or referendum outcome) you want to vote for.

How to apply for a proxy vote

You can:

You must apply by:

  • 5pm, 6 working days before election day in England, Scotland or Wales

  • 5pm, 14 working days before election day in Northern Ireland

Apply for an emergency proxy vote

If the proxy vote deadline has passed you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote if any of the following apply:

  • you cannot vote in person because of a medical emergency or disability
  • you cannot vote in person because of your employment
  • the photo ID you were planning on using to vote has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed
  • you’ve not yet received a new or replacement photo ID you’ve ordered

You do not need to show photo ID to vote in person in all UK elections and referendums. Check if you need to bring a photo ID to vote.

In England, Scotland and Wales, you have until 5pm on the day of the election to apply.

Fill in a paper form to:

Send it to your local Electoral Registration Office.

If you’re applying for an emergency proxy vote because of a medical emergency, disability or your employment, your application form must be signed by an ‘appropriate person’ (for example your employer or a doctor).

In Northern Ireland, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 6 days before the election.

Check the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website for details on how to apply.

How long your proxy vote is for

You can apply to vote by proxy:

  • for a single election or referendum on a specific date
  • for a specific period if you want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales
  • permanently

Who can act as a proxy

You can ask anyone to act as your proxy - as long as they:

  • are registered to vote
  • are allowed to vote in the type of election taking place
  • can vote in the polling station stated on your poll card

They’ll need to take their own photo ID with them to vote in some elections.

If they cannot get to your polling station, they will need to contact your local Electoral Registration Office to arrange to cast their proxy vote by post.

Change or cancel your proxy vote

To change who acts as your proxy or to start voting in person, contact your local Electoral Registration Office.

If you want to vote by post instead, complete a postal vote application.

5. Voting from abroad

How you vote when you’re abroad depends on:

  • whether you’ll be abroad temporarily or living abroad
  • where you want to vote

If you’ll be abroad temporarily

You can vote by post or proxy if you’ll be abroad temporarily on election day, for example on holiday or a work trip.

Voting in England, Scotland or Wales

You can arrange:

If you’re abroad on election day you need to make arrangements in advance. Apply to vote by proxy if the election or referendum is less than 2 weeks away and you have not made arrangements yet.

Your postal ballot will be sent to the address you’ve chosen no earlier than 16 days before the election. You need to return your ballot before 10pm on polling day.

Voting in Northern Ireland

There’s a different process to apply to vote by post or proxy if you live in Northern Ireland and will be abroad temporarily on election day.

If you will not have time to receive and return your postal ballot in Northern Ireland before going abroad you’ll need to vote by proxy. You cannot apply to have your postal vote sent outside the UK.

If you’re moving or living abroad

You can vote in UK Parliament elections. You may be able to vote in referendums. Each referendum has different rules on who can vote in it.

You need to register as an overseas voter.

You can vote by post or vote by proxy.

Find out how to vote if you’re registered as an overseas voter.

If you’re registered in Northern Ireland, you cannot vote by post from abroad.

Get help voting

You can contact your Electoral Register Office to find out when postal votes might be sent. This could help you decide whether to vote by proxy or by post.

6. Photo ID you'll need

You’ll need to show photo ID when voting in person in some UK elections or referendums.

You’ll need it to vote in:

  • UK parliamentary elections, including general elections and by-elections
  • recall of MP petitions in England, Scotland and Wales
  • local elections in England (including councils, mayors, the Greater London Authority and parishes)
  • Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales
  • neighbourhood planning referendums in England
  • local authority referendums in England (including Council Tax increase referendums)

There are different rules if you vote in Northern Ireland.

Check if you have accepted photo ID

You’ll need one of the following types of photo ID to vote:

  • a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
  • a driving licence issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands
  • a UK passport
  • a passport issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country
  • a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
  • a Blue Badge
  • a biometric residence permit (BRP)
  • a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90)
  • a national identity card issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
  • a Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
  • a Voter Authority Certificate
  • an Anonymous Elector’s Document

You can also use one of the following travel passes as photo ID when you vote:

The photo on your ID must look like you. You can still use your ID even if it has expired.

If you’re voting as someone’s proxy

You’ll need to take your own ID when you go to vote on someone else’s behalf. You do not need to take theirs.

If you’ve changed your name

The name on your ID must match your name on the electoral register. If it does not, you’ll need to either:

  • register to vote again with your new details
  • take a document with you to vote that proves you’ve changed your name (for example, a marriage certificate)

Small differences do not matter. For example, if your ID says ‘Jim Smith’ instead of ‘James Smith’.

If you do not have accepted photo ID

If you do not have a type of photo ID that allows you to vote, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.

7. Voting as a proxy for someone else

You may be asked to vote on behalf of someone else if they’re unable to vote in person. This is called a proxy vote.

To be a proxy you must be:

Who you can be a proxy for

You can be a proxy for either:

  • up to 2 people
  • up to 4 people if at least 2 of them are registered to vote from abroad

Proxy voting for someone registered to vote from abroad 

The person you’re a proxy for will have registered to vote from abroad if they’re either:

  • a British citizen living abroad (known as an ‘overseas voter’) 
  • living abroad because of work for the armed forces or the Government (known as a ‘service voter’)

Service voters

Service voters make a ‘service declaration’ when they register to vote. They must be either:

Proxy voting in person

Before you vote you should find out which candidate (or referendum outcome) the person wants to vote for.

You’ll need to vote at the polling station where the person you’re a proxy for usually votes. This may be a different polling station to where you vote.

If you do not know which polling station to go to, contact the local Electoral Registration Office of the person you are a proxy for.

You may need to show photo ID to vote in some elections. Check what photo ID you’ll need. You do not need to show the ID of the person you are the proxy for.

Proxy voting by post

If you cannot get to the polling station you can apply to vote as a proxy by post.

You’ll need to apply separately even if you already vote by post for yourself.

Contact the local Electoral Registration Office of the person you are a proxy for to get a postal vote application form.