Voting

Voting in person

If you are on the electoral register and eligible to vote, you will receive a poll card before the election. This will tell you when and where to vote. If you lose your poll card you can still vote. You must bring photo ID to the polling station.

On the day of the election you will need to go in person to a polling station to vote and will be asked your name and address, you will also have to show photo ID to the polling station staff. Find out what you need to know about photo ID

Polling stations are normally open from 7am to 10pm.

Find your local polling station

How to register to vote

Voting by post

Anyone who is on the electoral register can apply for a postal vote. The postal vote is sent directly to you before the day of the election.

You will need to return your postal vote by post before the deadline given. If you miss the deadline you can hand in your postal vote at a polling station on election day.

You can now apply to vote by post online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote

Alternatively, you can contact the elections office to request a paper application form.  Please note that you will now need to provide your National Insurance Number on your application form.

Postal Vote Priority Post Boxes

Royal Mail has 35,000 Priority Post Boxes which have late collection times with 98% of them having a collection time after 4pm.

In many cases these Priority Post Boxes also have an earlier collection as well and of the 35,000 Priority Post Boxes, 15,000 of them will have a collection between 3pm and 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday.

Find your nearest priority box

Voting by proxy

Proxy voting means you appoint someone to vote on your behalf if you are unable to get to the polling station on election day. Your chosen proxy must also be registered to vote.

To vote by proxy you have to give a reason, for example if you are away on holiday or on business. The proxy vote will only be valid for the current election.

You can now apply to vote by proxy online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote

Alternatively, you can contact the elections office to request a paper application form.  Please note that you will now need to provide your National Insurance Number on your application form.

Emergency proxy applications

You can apply for an emergency proxy if:

  • you have a medical emergency after the deadline that means you cannot go to the polling station in person
  • your occupation, service or employment means that you cannot go to the polling station in person, and you only become aware of that fact after the deadline

To apply for an emergency proxy vote call Wirral Council on 0151 691 8046. You cannot apply for an emergency proxy vote online.

How to vote if you have been made a proxy

You will be sent a proxy poll card with details of where you should go to vote. When you get to the polling station, the staff will tell you what to do.

Online absent vote applications

From 31 October 2023 electors (except for anonymous electors) will be able to apply for most types of absent vote online via:

Overseas voters

British citizens living abroad cannot vote in a local government election. Service Voters and Crown Servants stationed overseas can vote in a local government election.

Armed forces voters posted abroad

Service personnel and their spouses or civil partners posted abroad can register to vote online.

Register on the GOV.UK website

You can register at the address in the UK where you would be living if not posted overseas or at an address where you have lived in the past.

Armed forces voters posted elsewhere in the UK

Service personnel and their spouses or civil partners can register to vote online.

Register to vote

Methods of voting for armed forces personnel

Service voters and their spouses or civil partners can vote in person or can opt to vote by post or proxy.

Postal and proxy application forms can be downloaded from the Your vote matters website

Postal votes are usually sent out about 10 days before polling day. If you are living abroad it is advisable that you appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf as there is unlikely to be enough time for postal votes to reach you and be sent back before close of poll.

Voting if you have a disability

We offer a range of support for voters with a disability, including voters with a learning disability. Most of our polling stations:

  • are wheelchair accessible and we provide ramps where needed
  • have a polling booth adapted for wheelchair users 
  • have large print versions of ballot papers, along with aids to enable blind voters to mark their ballot papers without help.

If you are a voter with a disability and you need support to complete a ballot paper on your own, you can take a friend or relative to the polling station to help you.

The presiding officer at the polling station can also help you fill in your ballot paper.

Guides for voters with a learning disability

View or download easy read guides about voting and registering to vote on Mencap's website

British Sign Language (BSL) users

The Electoral Commission has produced a series of videos for British Sign Language (BSL) users.