Vote in person

Make sure you're registered to vote

In order to vote in person, you must be registered to vote. You can register to vote on the Gov.uk website. 

If you would like to check if you are already registered to vote, you can request that the Electoral Services team contact you by submitting a web form.

Where can I vote in person?

You will need to vote at your polling station. You will receive your poll card around a month before polling day which will let you know where and when you can vote.

You can check where your polling station is on the Electoral Commission website. You will only be able to vote at the polling station shown on your poll card.

When can I vote?

Information about upcoming elections can be found on our current elections page.

On election day, you can vote in person at your allocated polling station, which will be open from 7am to 10pm.

What do I need to take with me to vote?

You will need to take your voter ID with you to the polling station.

You do not need to take your poll card with you to vote in your polling station.

If you are worried you do not have an acceptable form of voter ID, please check the list of all forms of accepted ID.

If you do not have an acceptable form of voter ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. The deadline to apply for a VAC is 5pm on the 6th working day before polling day.

For specific dates for an upcoming election, please see the current elections page.

What happens when I get to the polling station?

Getting your ballot paper:

• When you arrive at the polling station, there might be a queue. As long as you are in the queue before 10pm, you will be able to vote.
• Once you are in the polling station, the polling station staff will ask for your name and address.
  • All of our polling station staff will be wearing a ‘Here to Help’ badge to help you identify them.
• The polling station staff will then ask you to show your voter ID to confirm your identity.
  • For more information about which voter ID is acceptable, and how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate, please see our voter ID page.
• Once the polling station staff have checked your voter ID, you will be given a ballot paper containing a list of the people, parties or options you can vote for.

Filling in your ballot paper:

• Once you have received your ballot paper, you can take it to a polling booth to mark your ballot.
• Make sure you clearly read the voting instructions in the polling booth to make sure you are voting for the correct number of candidates.
• There will be pencils supplied in the voting booth, however you may use your own pen or pencil if you would prefer.
• If you require assistance to complete your ballot paper, let a member of the polling station staff know. They are provided with equipment and training to make sure voting is accessible for everyone.
  • For more information about accessibility in the polling station, please see our accessibility page.
• If you have made an error on your ballot paper, let a member of polling station staff know that you require a new ballot paper.

Casting your vote:

• Once you have filled in your ballot paper, fold it in half and place it in the ballot box
• If you are unsure of where to place your ballot paper, let a member of polling station staff know and they will be able to help you.

I would like to offer feedback on my polling station experience. How can I submit this?

You can submit feedback about your voting experience by contacting the Electoral Services team.