UK General Election: How to vote

An overview of what you need to know to take part and vote in the UK General Election on 4 July 2024.

A UK General Election has been called by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and will take place on Thursday 4 July 2024.

In a General Election, you have one vote to select from a group of individuals who you want to represent you and your community in the UK Parliament.

Most candidates will be a part of a political party, including the Conservative and Unionist or Labour and Cooperative Parties. Others might be independent and not attached to a party.

To vote in the UK General Election you must be registered to vote. If you want to vote you must register by midnight on 18 June 2024. Due to changes in the law, everyone has to show an acceptable form of photo ID.

Below we provide an overview of what you need to know to take part in the upcoming UK General Election. An EasyRead version of this guidance produced by the UK Government and Mencap can be read here.

Who can vote?

To vote, you must:

• be 18 years or older on polling day
• be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
• be resident at an address in the UK (or be a UK citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
• not be legally excluded from voting

This is different to the Scottish Parliament or local elections in Scotland.

How to register:

You must be registered to vote before you can vote in the election. The deadline to do this for the upcoming General Election is midnight on 18 June 2024.

You can register to vote online. As well as your contact details, all you need is your National Insurance Number. Or, you can register by filling out a paper form. You will have to print, fill in and send it to your local electoral registration office. If you do not have a printer, need help filling it in or would like it in a different format, you can contact your local office and they will help you.

By registering, your name will be put on the electoral register. You do not have to register before every election, however, if you have moved or had a change of details like a name change then you should register again.

You can check if you have already registered by contacting your local electoral registration office.

Ways to vote:

There are several ways you can vote. You can vote:

• In-person

To vote you can attend your local polling station on the day from 7 am to 10 pm. You can find out where your local polling station is here or on your poll card that you should receive in the post before the election.

If you need any help or guidance on the day staff will be there to answer any questions you might have.

You now also have to show an accepted form of photo ID. If you do not have a photo ID that is allowed or a Voter Authority Certificate you will not be able to vote. However, you can still use your photo ID if it’s out of date, as long as it looks like you. The name on your ID should be the same name you used to register to vote.

• By post

If you would prefer to vote by post, rather than attending in person, you need to apply for a postal vote. You can apply for a postal vote online or by filling in a paper form and returning it to your local electoral registration office. To vote in the General Election, the deadline to register is 5 pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.

You will need to provide your contact details and National Insurance Number.

• By proxy

If you know that you won’t be able to get to the polling station on polling day, you can ask someone you trust to cast your vote on your behalf. This is called a proxy vote and the person casting your vote is often referred to as your proxy.

The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling station to cast your vote or can apply to vote on your behalf by post.

For the UK General Election, you can you need to complete an application to apply for a proxy vote. You can apply online or fill in a paper form and return it to your local electoral registration office.

The deadline for an application for an in-person proxy vote is 5 pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024. To register for a proxy postal vote the deadline is 5 pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.

You will need to provide your contact details and National Insurance Number. If applying online you’ll also need to upload a photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.

• Emergency proxy vote: 

If you cannot vote on Election Day due to an emergency then it may be possible for you to apply for an emergency proxy vote. The deadline for an emergency proxy vote is 5 pm on Thursday 4 July 2024).

To qualify for an emergency proxy vote the reason for not being able to vote must be something that you were not aware of prior to the deadline for a proxy vote. Reasons might be, for example, a medical emergency or unexpectedly being away from work.

To apply for an emergency proxy vote you must contact your local electoral registration office.

In many areas across Scotland, the election falls in the school summer holidays. This means that people may be more likely to be away and may need to consider applying for a postal or proxy vote.

What ID is allowed?:

A list of accepted forms of photo ID can be found here. The ID needs to be the original version and not a photocopy.

Examples:

• Passport
• Driving Licence
• Blue Badge
• A PASS card
• Local travel cards like a bus pass.

If you do not have an accepted form of voter ID like the ones listed above can apply for a free voter ID document known as a Voter Authority Certificate. You can also apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate if you are concerned that your photo ID no longer looks like you, or if you do not wish to use the form of voter ID that you have.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5 pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.

You can find further information on the Electoral Commission’s website.

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