NI voters urged to get ready for UK general election
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Following the announcement by the Prime Minister that a UK general election will take place on 4 July, Cahir Hughes, Head of the Electoral Commission Northern Ireland, said:
“The electoral community in Northern Ireland will now be putting all its planning into action, working to support voters, and delivering well-run polls.
All voters need to be registered and those voting in person will need to show an accepted form of ID. Registering to vote only takes five minutes at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and must be done by 18 June.
“Voters who cannot make it to their polling station on 4 July can apply to vote by post or by proxy. The deadline for these applications is 5pm on 14 June. You may be required to provide a Digital Registration Number (DRN) on your postal or proxy application.
“The public can check if they are already registered to vote and obtain their DRN by visiting www.eoni.org.uk/Am-I-registered
“It’s important that voters can hear from a range of voices over the coming weeks. We call on political parties, campaigners, volunteers, and candidates to undertake their vital role responsibly and transparently so that voters can have confidence in the information they see and receive. Spending rules are in place to provide an even playing field, and we will be publishing information on donations to parties throughout the campaign for transparency.
“We also call on all campaigners to engage respectfully and constructively with opposing viewpoints. Campaigning can and should take place without anyone experiencing threats, abuse, or intimidation.”
Key dates
| Action | Timeline |
|---|---|
| Deadline for applying for a postal or proxy vote | 17:00 on Friday 14 June |
| Deadline for registering to vote | 23:59 on Tuesday 18 June |
| Polling day | 7am to 10pm on Thursday 4 July |
The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland has more information about how to vote by post or proxy.
Information about voting at this election is available at https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections
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Notes to editors
- Voters can apply to register to vote on gov.uk/register-to-vote
- To vote by postal or proxy, you may be required to provide a Digital Registration Number (DRN) on your postal or proxy application.
- The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity by:
- enabling the delivery of free and fair elections and referendums, focusing on the needs of electors and addressing the changing environment to ensure every vote remains secure and accessible
- regulating political finance – taking proactive steps to increase transparency, ensure compliance and pursue breaches
- using our expertise to make and advocate for changes to our democracy, aiming to improve fairness, transparency and efficiency
- The Commission was set up in 2000 and reports to the UK, Welsh and Scottish parliaments.