You’ve probably read this about 10 times now whilst reading through our Elections Hub, and you’ll be reading it again! The first step in preparing to vote is by registering!
You can register online or via post. If you choose to register online (which we think may be easiest as the Election is quite close) you just need 5 minutes and your National Insurance number. You can find out more information on the Electoral Commission website here.
The voter registration deadline is 18th June 11:59pm. This is the very last day you’ll be able to register to vote for the General Election. Visit here to get your name on the Electoral Register and ready to mark your ballot paper.
Voter ID
From 2023, all voters in England are required to show photo ID to vote at polling stations - this includes the upcoming General Election.
We know that some of you may not have access to a photo ID BUT worry not! We have a few ways around this for you.
Click here to view the full list of accepted photo ID and how to get a free authorised ID card
Polling Station
If you choose to vote in person on Election Day, it’s important for you to turn up to the correct polling station. It may not be the closest one to where you live or it may have changed since the last Election. It’s also worth noting that you can’t just turn up to any polling station. There’s a few ways how you can check which one you should go to:
- Check your Poll Card - If you’ve registered to vote correctly, you should receive a Poll Card in the post with information about the Election and your polling station
- Electoral Commission Website - You can enter your postcode here to find out where your polling station will be. This information will only be available approximately 2 weeks before Election Day
If you have any access needs whilst at the Polling Station, make a member of staff aware, who will be able to accommodate you. They can provide assistance such as a tactile voting device for visually impaired voters, assistance in moving around the polling station for voters with mobility issues, easy read instructions and more. You can find more information from the accessible voting guide here.
Knowing Your Candidates and Researching
You’ve registered to vote and checked you have a valid photo ID, great! But now’s there’s the question of what you’ll mark when you cast your vote.
The UK is divided into 650 areas, called constituencies, and each of these elects one MP to represent local residents. Most candidates represent a political party, but some stand as independents. You’ll be able to find out more about each candidate running in your constituency here.
Once you’ve looked through the list of candidates, do your own research into each one and their respective party (if they have one) from reputable sources. This can be from reading their manifestos, visiting their websites, searching through trusted news outlets or watching candidate debates and interviews.
Whilst doing your research, make note of which candidate and parties align with your values. Ask yourself what you care about, what you’d like to see in your future, what policies you’d want to pass, how the Elected Government can help you and those you care about. Making a list of the above when doing your research may help you determine how you’re going to cast your vote.
Voting Methods
There are three different ways in which you can cast your vote in the upcoming General Election:
- In Person: We’ve written about this just above.
- Postal: If you can’t make it to your local polling station on the day, whether that’s because you currently live abroad, you’re on holiday or you can’t access a polling station, you can apply to cast your vote by post. You’ll need to apply by June 19th at 5pm - this is the very last day you’ll be able to register for a postal vote. Visit here to apply and get your postal vote pack.
- Proxy: If you can’t make it to your local polling station on the day, whether that’s because you currently live abroad, you’re on holiday or you can’t access a polling station, you can apply to cast your vote by proxy. This means to nominate and register a trusted person to vote on your behalf. This person must be eligible and registered to vote in UK elections and able to visit your local polling station on the day. You’ll need to apply by June 26th at 5pm - this is the very last day you’ll be able to register for a proxy vote. You can find more information and apply for a proxy vote here