How do I vote at the polling station?

If you are registered as an elector in the Borough, you will receive a poll card three or four weeks before the election (less if it is a Parliamentary general election). The poll card will give details of when and where to vote and what to do inside the polling station. This card is for information only; you do not need it to vote.

At the polling station, tell the clerk your name and address. You will be given a ballot paper.  Take it to one of the polling booths and mark a cross (X) in the box on the right-hand side of the ballot paper opposite the name(s) of the candidate(s) you want to vote for. The ballot paper tells you how many candidates you may vote for. Do not vote for more than that number. Put no other mark on the ballot paper or your vote may not be counted. If you spoil your paper by mistake, return it to the presiding officer in the polling station who will cancel that paper and give you another one.

Having marked the ballot paper with your vote, fold it in two before placing it in the ballot box.

If you are unable or unwilling to go to the polling station in person, you may vote by post. Once you have been granted a postal vote, you will not be able to vote in person. By selecting voting by post, you will find more information..

If you have appointed a proxy to vote in person for you, you may nevertheless vote in person yourself provided you do so before your proxy has voted on your behalf. By selecting voting by proxy, you will find more information.

If you need assistance with voting, in the polling station you will find

• a polling booth suitable for wheelchair users. Most stations have a ramp for easier access to the building.
• a large-print ballot paper to assist partially-sighted voters
• a device to enable blind or partially-sighted voters to vote unaided.

A voter who cannot read or one who has a physical disability and is unable to vote without assistance, may be helped by a companion or by polling staff.

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