Going to the polls: A simplified guide to polling day

Where and when do I go to vote?

Polling stations are open for the General Election from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 4th July 2024. A polling station is normally a building like a school, village hall, or church, but they can also be in other places.

Everyone who is registered to vote is assigned a polling station in their area. You should receive a polling card which tells you which station to go to. You do not have to take the card with you to vote. You cannot go to a different polling station. If you have lost your polling card or did not receive it, you can find your polling station via most city council websites or on the Electoral Commission website using your postcode.

If you are still in the line at your polling station at 10pm, you are still allowed to place your vote.

Voter ID when voting at a polling station

Photo ID is required to vote in person at most elections in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including the general election. Your ID can be out of date as long as it still looks like you.

There are lots of different types of photo ID that can be used to vote. This is not a full list, but this can include:

• UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving license (full or provisional)

• driving license issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands

• UK passport

• passport issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country

• PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)

• Blue Badge

• Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card

• Voter Authority Certificate

• Anonymous Elector’s Document

Some travel passes like bus passes can be used as ID, but not all of them. The full list of accepted IDs can be found on the government website, here. 

If you do not have a form of Voter ID for this election, you will not be able to vote unless you are voting by proxy or postal vote.

You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for future elections (the deadline for applying for this is generally a week before the election), or in future you could apply for a postal or proxy vote where ID is not required (again with application deadlines a few weeks before).

If you wear a face covering such as for medical or religious reasons, you will be asked to momentarily remove this to check your voter ID, but can wear it for the rest of the process. You can request to have this checked in private, or request that a female member of staff checks your ID  - these requests will be granted where possible.

What happens at the polling station?

When you arrive at the polling station there are normally different tables set up. You will be directed to the first table who will normally ask for your name and address.

This person may also look at your voter ID or you may be sent to another table to do this.

You will be given a ballot paper which tells you who the candidates (people you can vote for) are and their parties, and where their addresses are based.

You will be sent to a polling booth to place your vote - there will be screens dividing you from other people and pencils provided (you should use these as pens can smudge and your vote might not be counted). This booth may be in the same room as those checking your details, or it might be in a different room that you are directed to.

Once you have selected your vote, you put a cross in the box next to it, fold it up, and place it in the ballot box. You are then allowed to leave the polling station - you don’t have to do anything else.

Reasonable adjustments & accessibility for disabled and Neurodivergent voters

Some disabled voters find voting in person too difficult because there are not enough adjustments made at polling stations. There is not much guidance for extra support for Neurodivergent voters for polling staff, but they should still try to support you to make your vote.

Under the 2010 Equality Act, reasonable adjustments have to be made for you to vote independently and in secret.

Polling stations must provide:

• A notice inside and outside of the polling station which provides instructions for how to vote

• A notice inside each polling station which provides information on how you should mark your ballot paper

• A large sample copy of the ballot paper for voters to be able to see what it looks like

• An enlarged hand-held copy of the ballot paper for partially sighted voters or anyone who would find it useful to take into the polling booth for reference

These notices and copies of the ballot paper might be useful for Neurodivergent people who are trying to process not only their vote but the experience of the polling station itself. You might find it useful to look at the large sample copy before entering the booth if you need longer to look at the paper. These should all be easily available and visible but if they are not, you can ask for them.

There are different forms of equipment that can help some disabled voters. Some should be available as standard, like:

• Chairs/seating for those who can’t stand for long periods

• Magnifiers to increase text size on the documents

• Tactile voting devices for those who are blind or visually impaired to mark their ballots correctly

• A polling booth at a level accessible to wheelchair users

• Ramps

• Badges identifying polling station staff

• Parking spaces for disabled voters

• Pencil grips for those with dexterity needs to help hold pencils independently

There are other pieces of equipment that can be provided like hearing induction loops, audio devices, or alternative information formats like easy read and large print, though not every polling station has these as standard.

You can also ask for someone to support you to mark your ballot, though this stops your vote from being in secret - this could be the Presiding Officer, a family member over 18, or another registered voter.

If you need reasonable adjustments to be made to polling stations or know your polling station is not accessible, you should contact your local authority and local electoral services team to explore alternatives, and the Electoral Commision can also provide advice and information on this. Find contact details for both of these on the Electoral Commission website here.  

If the polling stations cannot be made fully physically accessible, a Presiding Officer must deliver the ballot paper to the disabled person outside the station. This should only be in situations where all efforts have been made to make the polling station accessible as it is an unsatisfactory option.

Anonymous voting

For some people having your name and address on the electoral register can be dangerous and they register as an anonymous voter. If you are an anonymous voter the process at the polling station is the same as everyone else except that you will use your Anonymous Elector’s Document. This will enable you to vote without needing to use the standard forms of ID discussed above.

The Elector’s Document includes:

• The date it was issued

• Your photograph

• Your electoral number - this is the number that will appear on the electoral register instead of your name and address

• An identifier which is a combination of software generated 20 letters and numbers

When you arrive at the polling station you can ask to have your documents checked in a private space. The people working at the polling station will check your identifier and your electoral number.

Frequently Asked Questions