How and where to Vote

When registering to vote you will automatically be registered to vote at the polling station unless you complete one of the application forms to vote by post or proxy.

You will receive a poll card before the election which will tell you where your polling station is. You don't need your poll card in order to vote but it is helpful to have with you.

Watch our video to discover what to expect at a polling station.

Where to vote

Details of where you can vote will be published prior to the election. If you have any queries, please contact Electoral Services on 01279 655 261 or e-mail electors@eastherts.gov.uk 

Voter ID

The UK government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station at elections. This new requirement was applied for the first time in England at the local elections on Thursday 4 May 2023. Visit our Voter ID page for requirements and additional information. 

You can apply to vote by post at all elections or just for a particular election. The closing date for postal applications is 11 working days before the election.

The ballot paper can be sent to any address including those outside the UK. However, your vote may take longer to arrive and votes received after the poll closes will not be counted. Once your postal application has been accepted, you will not be allowed to vote in person at a polling station, although you can hand in your postal ballot paper to a polling station in your electoral area on polling day.

Please click here to apply for a postal vote.

You can download a postal vote application form from the electoral commission. Once you have filled this in you should send it to the Council by post. 

Note: if you use the online enquiry form you must upload a scanned application form. A photograph of the form will not be accepted.

Changes to postal voting - Elections Act 2022

From October 2023, there will be a number of changes to postal voting:

• You will have the option to apply for a postal vote via a new central government online system. You will need to provide your national insurance number, or sufficient documentary evidence displaying proof of identity when applying for an absent vote, whether this is an online application or paper application.  
• Postal voters must reapply to vote by post every 3 years.
• Political parties and campaigners will no longer be allowed to handle postal vote packs.  
• There will be a limit of 6 postal votes a person can hand in at a polling station. 
   

If you are unable to vote in person for a particular election, for example you are on holiday, you can get someone to vote for you and tell them who to vote for. This is called a proxy vote. To vote by proxy you and your proxy must be registered to vote and eligible to vote in that election.

Voters are limited to acting as a proxy for two people, regardless of their relationship. Anyone voting on behalf of UK voters who live overseas may be eligible to act as a proxy for up to four people.

Voters are able to apply for a proxy vote online. Completed application forms can be returned as an email attachment to electors@eastherts.gov.uk or posted to: Electoral Services, Electoral Services, East Herts District Council Offices , Peggs Lane, Hertford, Herts,SG13 8EQ

Voter ID

As a proxy voter you will need to produce your own photo ID. However, you do not need to produce the ID for the elector on whose behalf you are voting. 

There has been some changes to how people from overseas can vote:

In the past, British citizens were only eligible to vote in UK Parliament elections if they had previously been registered in the UK and living abroad for less than 15 years.

From January 2024, there is no longer a time limit. Voters that have previously lived or been registered to vote in the UK now have the right to vote in UK parliament elections.

Find out more about the changes