How do I vote in the UK general election? What you need to know
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Version 0 of 1. More people have registered to vote than ever before. Between the middle of March and the deadline to register, nearly 2.3 million signed up, including more than 700,000 18- 24 year olds. Many voters will be voting in a general election for the first time. Here’s everything you need to know about casting your vote on Thursday, so you can focus on deciding who to vote for. Do I need my polling card? Do I need my polling card to vote? I think I accidentally threw it out. Your local council should have sent you a polling card telling you where and when to vote. On the reverse there will be a map and the location of your local polling station. You do not need your polling card in order to vote. Just turn up and tell the staff your name and address. If you have not received your polling card, you should call your electoral registration office to check. Here’s where to find their contact details. Related: General election 2015: what's happening where you are on polling day? Do I need to take ID to the polling station? You do not need to show ID to vote in England, Scotland and Wales. You will need to tell polling staff your name and address. They will then cross your name off the list and give you a ballot paper. The elections watchdog plans to introduce the need for photographic ID in time for the 2019 local government and European parliament elections. If you’re voting in Northern Ireland, you must show photo ID. Where should you go to vote? It is likely you will be voting in person at a polling station. This is usually a school or local community centre. Your polling card will show the location of your polling station. If you don’t have this information you can enter your postcode here to find out the number of your local authority who can help. What happens inside the polling station? Tell the staff inside the polling station your name and address so they can check that you are on the electoral register. You can show them your poll card, but you do not need the card to vote. The staff at the polling station will give you a ballot paper listing the parties and candidates you can vote for. Take your ballot paper into a polling booth so that no one can see how you vote. The ballot paper will tell you how to cast your vote. Do not write anything else on the paper or your vote may not be counted. Filling in your ballot paper Follow the instructions on the top of the ballot paper. Essentially, you will need to mark your preference with a cross. Although official rules call for a cross, according to a spokesman for the Electoral Commission, returning officers can exercise discretion where “they are satisfied that a preference has been expressed”. Any clear expression of preference for a specific candidate is a legal vote. Returning officers and tellers would discuss your chosen symbol, and if there is a clear preference for one candidate the vote will count. Fold your ballot paper in half, and then put it in the ballot box. Go outside of the polling station and take a selfie. Tweet and tell everyone to vote. Can I take a picture in the polling booth? Definitely not. While there is no law explicitly banning photography in polling stations, the Electoral Commission has advised polling station and staff to ban voters from taking selfies or using cameras or smartphones in polling stations. I’m busy, can I vote by proxy? If you are not able to go to the polling station in person on polling day for reasons relating to your occupation, service or employment – not just because you can’t be bothered – and you only become aware of this after 5pm on the sixth working day before an election you can apply to vote by emergency proxy. Voting by proxy is when someone else votes on your behalf. You can apply up until 5pm on election day. The person you wish to appoint as your proxy must be registered individually. A person cannot be a proxy for more than two people at any one election or referendum, unless they are a close relative. The deadline to apply to vote by proxy without giving a reason was 5pm on 28 April. Can I vote by post? Sorry, it is too late to post it now. Your ballot paper needs to be returned by 5pm on polling day. However you can hand it in on polling day to the returning officer at your local council, or drop it off at a polling station. You have missed the deadline to apply to vote by post. Next time, apply for a postal vote but send your application to the electoral registration office 11 days in advance. What if I haven’t registered to vote? It is too late to register to vote in the general election. You may already be registered at a previous address, or if you are a student you may be registered at your home address. To find out if you are on the electoral register you should contact your local council where you are most likely to be registered. Enter your postcode here to find out their contact details. You might still be able to vote, you just might have to travel. Who should I vote for? Here’s our interactive explaining how the manifesto promises might affect you in your daily life. Here are some useful quizzes – also known as Voter Advice Applications (VAAs) – that can help you decide which party best matches your opinion. The likelihood of a hung parliament makes tactical voting important. Here’s a guide on how to make the most of your vote. And here’s the Guardian’s view. |