Voting

Who is eligible to vote?

Only people whose names appear on the electoral register are entitled to vote in elections.

To vote in elections you must:

  • Be 18 years or over on the day of the elections.

  • Be a British, Commonwealth, Irish or European Union citizen.

  • Not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote such as being in prison.

  • European Union citizens (other than British or Irish citizens) are only entitled to vote at local elections and European Parliamentary elections. They cannot vote at UK Parliamentary elections.

British citizens living abroad can register as overseas electors and vote at UK and European Parliamentary elections for 15 years after they leave the country.  Overseas electors cannot vote in local elections.

Service personnel can register as ordinary elections or complete a Service Voter application form.

How can I Vote?

There are a number of ways that you can vote.

  • Go along to the polling station specified on the polling card which will be posted out to you before the election. Hours of poll are 7am until 10pm.

  • Vote by post and a ballot paper will be posted out to you before the day of the election. You can then mark your vote in secret and post it back to us in time to be included in the count.

  • Vote by proxy, where you can appoint someone to vote on your behalf.

  • If you are going on holiday or work away from home and will not be at your home address on the day of the election, please contact Electoral Services on 0115 9071190 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. as soon as possible for further advice on postal and proxy voting.

We try to ensure that all polling stations are as accessible as possible for electors with disabilities by using temporary ramps, alternative entrances and removing any potential hazards.
Electoral services are continuously looking for alternative venues that could be used as polling stations to make access as easy as possible for all electors.  Assistance to gain access to any of our polling stations will be available from the polling staff at any time during polling hours.

To assist voters with disabilities, each polling station will have:

  • A large print version of the ballot paper(s) for the election(s) taking place.

  • A wider and lower polling booth for voters with disabilities.

  • A selecting device for voters with visual impairments to assist them when marking their ballot paper.

Any voter with any disability can ask for assistance in marking their vote.  This assistance can come from the presiding officer or a companion of the voter. Anyone who assists the voter must maintain the secrecy of that vote.