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Learn about voting in person in Northern Ireland
Learn about voting in person in England.

Photo ID at the polling station

A video created by young people with I Have a Voice, our youth voice partner for England in 2024.

To vote in person on polling day, you will need: 

  • to know where you polling station is
  • photo ID

Your polling station

On election day, known as polling day, you need to go to your polling station. This is usually a public building like a school or village hall, but polling stations have popped up in all kinds of places like pubs and lifeboat stations.

You will have received a poll card in the post which tells you where to go to vote. You have to go to your assigned polling station. You can’t choose to vote at a polling station near your college or workplace, for example.

If you’re unsure where to go to vote, you can find your polling station online or contact the elections team at your council and they will help.

Polling stations are always open from 7am until 10pm. As long as you’re in the queue to vote by 10pm, you’ll be allowed to vote. 

Photo ID

You need to take photo ID to vote in person at the polling station.

This could be your passport or your driving licence or another form of accepted photo ID.
Your ID can be out of date, as long as the photo still looks like you.

If you don’t have photo ID already, you can get free ID, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

You can apply online for a Voter Authority Certificate.

Or you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by post by contacting your local elections team. Remember to register to vote first.

Learn more about photo ID at the polling station and how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.

Inside the polling station

There will be staff who are working for the Returning Officer from your local council. There’s usually one person in charge who is called the Presiding Officer, and a few other people called Poll Clerks.

  • tell the staff your name and address so they can check that you’re on the electoral register. They will ask to see your photo ID. The staff will cross your name off their list so they know who has voted, and hand you your ballot paper. A ballot paper is a list of your voting options on which you mark your decision
  • take your ballot paper into a polling booth. These are private areas designed so that no one else can see who you vote for. Make sure you give people plenty of space, so everyone can cast their vote in secret
  • mark ‘X’ next who you want to vote for on the ballot paper. You might be asked to vote for more than one person. Take your time to read everything. There will be instructions on the ballot paper and on posters in the polling station
  • fold your ballot paper and put it in the ballot box. This is a large, clearly labelled box in the polling station
  • leave the polling station – that’s it, you’ve cast your vote

At the end of the day, the ballot box will be taken away for the votes to be counted.

Your vote will be kept safe and will always stay secret.

Things to remember when voting in person

  • you might be voting in different elections on the same day. For example, there might be council elections and a UK Parliament election in your area on the same day. If this is the case, you’ll be given more than one ballot paper. Different elections work in different ways so it’s important that you understand how to fill in your ballot paper correctly. All ballot papers include clear instructions 
  • if you make a mistake and need a new ballot paper, don't worry – just speak to the staff and they can give you a new ballot paper, as long as you haven't already put one in the ballot box
  • don’t write anything else on your ballot paper, or your vote may not be counted
  • there will be a pencil in the polling booth, but you can use your own pen or pencil if you prefer
  • taking photos inside a polling station is not allowed as you may accidentally reveal how you or someone else has voted. You can take as many photos and videos as you like outside the polling station and share these on social media. Remember to be respectful of other voters

Asking for help

Just ask a member of staff if you’re unsure about anything or if you need help. They will be happy to talk you through the process before you vote.

You can to ask someone you trust, like a parent, carer, or friend who is over 18, to come with you to the polling station to support you whilst you vote.

If you can’t fill in the ballot paper yourself, you can ask polling station staff or someone you trust to mark it for you. Speak to the staff if you’d like to do this.

If you are blind or partially sighted, you can ask for a large print ballot paper as a guide, or a special voting device, to help you cast your vote.

If you are disabled, your local elections team will be able to provide extra support for you to cast your vote. You might want to speak to them about this before polling day.

Learn how to vote at a polling place in Scotland.

Your polling place

On election day, known as polling day, you need to go to your polling place. This is usually a public building like a school or village hall, but polling places have popped up in all kinds of places like pubs and lifeboat stations.

You will have received a poll card in the post which tells you where to go to vote. You have to go to your assigned polling place. You can’t choose to vote at a polling place near your college or workplace, for example.

If you’re unsure where to go to vote, you can find your polling place online or contact your local elections team and they will help.

Polling places are always open from 7am until 10pm. As long as you’re in the queue to vote by 10pm, you’ll be allowed to vote. 

Photo ID

In UK Parliament elections, you will need to take photo ID to vote. 

This could be your passport, driving licence, Young Scot card or another form of accepted photo ID.

Your ID can be out of date, as long as the photo still looks like you.

If you don’t have photo ID already, you can get free ID, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. You can apply online for a Voter Authority Certificate.

Or you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by post by contacting your local electoral registration office. Remember to register to vote first.

Learn more about photo ID at the polling place and how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.

You don’t need photo ID to vote in Scottish Parliament or council elections.

Inside the polling place

There will be a few members of staff. There’s usually one person in charge who is called the Presiding Officer, and a few other people called Poll Clerks.

  • tell the staff your name and address so they can check that you’re on the electoral register. In some elections, they will ask to see your photo ID. The staff will cross your name off their list so they know who has voted, and hand you your ballot paper. A ballot paper is a list of options you use to mark your decision
  • take your ballot paper into a polling booth. These are private areas designed so that no one else can see who you vote for. Make sure you give people plenty of space, so everyone can cast their vote in secret
  • mark who you want to vote for on the ballot paper. You might be asked to do this by marking ‘X’ next to your choice, or by using numbers to rank your choices. Take your time to read everything properly. There will be instructions on the ballot paper and on posters in the polling place
  • fold your ballot paper and put it in the ballot box. This is a large, clearly labelled box in the polling place
  • leave the polling place – that’s it, you’ve cast your vote

At the end of the day, the ballot box will be taken away for the votes to be counted.

Your vote will be kept safe and will always stay secret.

Things to remember when voting in person

  • you might be voting in different elections on the same day. For example, there may be a council election and a UK Parliament election in your area on the same day. If this is the case, you’ll be given more than one ballot paper. Different elections work in different ways so it’s important that you understand how to fill in your ballot paper correctly. All ballot papers have clear instructions
  • if you make a mistake and need a new ballot paper, don't worry – just speak to the staff and they can give you a new ballot paper, as long as you haven't already put one in the ballot box
  • don’t write anything else on your ballot paper, or your vote may not be counted.
  • there will be a pencil in the polling booth, but you can use your own pen or pencil if you prefer
  • taking photos inside a polling place is not allowed as you may accidentally reveal how you or someone else has voted. You can take as many photos and videos as you like outside the polling place and share these on social media. Remember to be respectful of other voters

Asking for help

Just ask a member of staff if you’re unsure about anything or if you need help. They will be happy to talk you through the process before you vote, if you’d like.

You can ask someone you trust to come with you to the polling place to support you whilst you vote.

At Scottish Parliament and council elections this could be a close family member who is 16 or over. This could also be another person such as a friend or carer, but they need to be eligible to vote in the election if they aren’t a close family member.

At UK Parliament elections you can choose anyone who is 18 or over to help you, including a family member, friend or carer. If you can’t fill in the ballot paper yourself, you can ask polling place staff to mark the ballot paper for you, or someone you trust can do it for you. Speak to the staff if you’d like to do this.

If you are blind or partially sighted, you can ask for a large print ballot paper, as a guide, or a special voting device, to help you cast your vote. 
If you are disabled, your local elections team may be able to provide extra support for you to cast your vote. You might want to speak to them about this before polling day.

Learn how to vote at the polling station in Wales.

Kai's First Vote

A video by young people at Children in Wales, our youth voice partner for Wales, 2024.

Visit the Children in Wales website

Your polling station

On election day, known as polling day, you need to go to your polling station. This is usually a public building like a school or village hall, but polling stations have popped up in all kinds of places like pubs and lifeboat stations.

You will have received a poll card in the post which tells you where to go to vote. You have to go to your assigned polling station. You can’t choose to vote at a polling station near your college or workplace, for example.

If you’re unsure where to go to vote, you can find your polling station online or contact your local elections team and they will help. 

Polling stations are always open from 7am until 10pm. As long as you’re in the queue to vote by 10pm, you’ll be allowed to vote. 

Photo ID

In UK Parliament elections, you will need to take photo ID to vote.

This could be your passport or your driving licence or another form of accepted photo ID.

Your ID can be out of date, as long as the photo still looks like you.
If you don’t have photo ID already, you can get free ID, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.  

You can apply online for a Voter Authority Certificate.

Or you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by post by contacting your local elections team. Remember to register to vote first.

Learn more about photo ID at the polling station and how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.

You don’t need photo ID to vote in Senedd or local council elections.

Inside the polling station

There will be a few members of staff. There’s usually one person in charge who is called the Presiding Officer, and a few other people called Poll Clerks.

  • tell the staff your name and address so they can check that you’re on the electoral register. In some elections, they will ask to see your photo ID. The staff will cross your name off their list so they know who has voted, and hand you your ballot paper. A ballot paper is a list of your voting options on which you mark your decision
  • take your ballot paper into a polling booth. These are private, areas designed so that no one else can see who you vote for. Make sure you give people plenty of space, so everyone can cast their vote in secret
  • mark who you want to vote for on the ballot paper. You might be asked to do this by marking ‘X’ next to your choice, or by using numbers to rank your choices. Take your time to read everything properly. There will be instructions on the ballot paper and on posters in the polling station
  •  You might be asked to vote for more than one person. Take your time to read everything properly. There will be instructions on the ballot paper and on posters in the polling station
  • fold your ballot paper and put it in the ballot box. This is a large, clearly labelled box in the polling station
  • leave the polling station – that’s it, you’ve cast your vote

At the end of the day, the ballot box will be taken away for the votes to be counted.

Your vote will be kept safe and will always stay secret.

Voting in 5 easy steps

Things to remember when voting in person

  • you might be voting in different elections on the same day. For example, there may be council elections and a Senedd election in your area, on the same day. If this is the case, you’ll be given more than one ballot paper. Different elections work in different ways so it’s important that you understand how to fill in your ballot paper correctly. All ballot papers have clear instructions 
  • if you make a mistake and need a new ballot paper, don't worry – just speak to the staff and they can give you a new ballot paper, as long as you haven't already put one in the ballot box
  • don’t write anything else on your ballot paper, or your vote may not be counted.
  • there will be a pencil in the polling booth, but you can use your own pen or pencil if you prefer
  • taking photos inside a polling station is not allowed as you may accidentally reveal how you or someone else has voted. You can take as many photos and videos as you like outside the polling station and share these on social media. Remember to be respectful of other voters

Asking for help

Just ask a member of staff if you’re unsure about anything or if you need help. They will be happy to talk you through the process before you vote, if you’d like.

You can ask someone you trust to come with you to the polling station to support you whilst you vote.

At Senedd and council elections this could be a close family member who is 16 or over. This could also be another person such as a friend or carer, but they need to be eligible to vote in the election if they aren’t a close family member.

At UK Parliament elections you can choose anyone who is 18 or over to help you, including a family member, friend or carer. If you can’t fill in the ballot paper yourself, you can ask polling place staff to mark the ballot paper for you, or someone you trust can do it for you. Speak to the staff if you’d like to do this.

If you are blind or partially sighted, you can ask for a large print ballot paper, as a guide, or a special voting device, to help you cast your vote.

If you are disabled, your local elections team may be able to provide extra support for you to cast your vote. You might want to speak to them about this before polling day.

Asking for help at a polling station

A video by young people at the Democracy Box, our youth voice partner for Wales, 2023.

Visit the Democracy Box website

To vote in person on polling day, you will need: 

  • to know where you polling station is
  • photo ID

Your polling station

On election day, known as polling day, you need to go to your polling station. This is usually a public building like a school or village hall, but polling stations have popped up in all kinds of places like pubs and lifeboat stations.

You will have received a poll card in the post which tells you where to go to vote. You have to go to your assigned polling station. You can’t choose to vote at a polling station near your college or workplace, for example.

If you’re unsure where to go to vote, you can find your polling station online or check your poll card.

Polling stations are always open from 7am until 10pm. As long as you’re in the queue to vote by 10pm, you’ll be allowed to vote. 

Photo ID

You need to take photo ID to vote. 

This could be your driving licence or your passport, or you can apply for a free Electoral Identity Card from the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland.

Accepted ID includes:

  • a UK, Irish or EEA driving licence, including provisional licences
  • a UK, Irish or EU passport (EU passports are not accepted at UK Parliamentary elections)
  • an Electoral Identity Card
  • A Translink Half Fare SmartPass
  • a Translink Senior SmartPass 
  • a Translink 60+ SmartPass
  • a Translink War Disabled SmartPass
  • a Translink Blind Person’s SmartPass
  • A Biometric Immigration Document

Your ID can be out of date, as long as the photo still looks like you.
If you don’t have photo ID already, you can get a free Electoral Identity Card from the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland. Remember to register to vote first.

Inside the polling station

There will be a few members of staff. There’s usually one person in charge who is called the Presiding Officer, and a few other people called Poll Clerks.

  • tell the staff your name and address so they can check that you’re on the electoral register. They will ask to see your photo ID. The staff will cross your name off their list so they know who has voted, and hand you your ballot paper. A ballot paper is a list of your voting options on which you mark your decision
  • take your ballot paper into a polling booth. These are private areas designed so that no one else can see who you vote for. Make sure you give people plenty of space, so everyone can cast their vote in secret
  • mark who you want to vote for on the ballot paper. You might be asked to do this by marking ‘X’ next to your choice, or by using numbers to rank your choices. Take your time to read everything properly. There will be instructions on the ballot paper and on posters in the polling station
  • fold your ballot paper and put it in the ballot box. This is a large, clearly labelled box in the polling station
  • leave the polling station – that’s it, you’ve cast your vote

At the end of the day, the ballot box will be taken away for the votes to be counted.

Your vote will be kept safe and will always stay secret.

Things to remember when voting in person

Things to remember when voting in person

  • you might be voting in different elections on the same day. For example, there may be council elections and a UK Parliament election in your area, on the same day. If this is the case, you’ll be given more than one ballot paper. Different elections work in different ways so it’s important that you understand how to fill in your ballot paper correctly. All ballot papers have clear instructions on the top
  • if you make a mistake and need a new ballot paper, don't worry – just speak to the staff and they can give you a new ballot paper, as long as you haven't already put one in the ballot box
  • don’t write anything else on your ballot paper, or your vote may not be counted
  • there will be a pencil in the polling booth, but you can use your own pen or pencil if you prefer
  • taking photos inside a polling station is not allowed as you may accidentally reveal how you or someone else has voted. You can take as many photos and videos as you like outside the polling station and share these on social media. Remember to be respectful of other voters

Asking for help

Just ask a member of staff if you’re unsure about anything or if you need help. They will be happy to talk you through the process before you vote, if you’d like.

You’re allowed to ask someone you trust, like a parent, carer, or friend who is over 18, to come with you to the polling station to support you whilst you vote.
If you can’t fill in the ballot paper yourself, you can ask polling station staff to mark the ballot paper for you, or someone you trust can do it for you. Speak to the staff if you’d like to do this.

If you are blind or partially sighted, you can ask for a large print ballot paper, as a guide, or a special voting device, to help you cast your vote.

If you are disabled, your local elections team may be able to provide extra support for you to cast your vote. You might want to speak to them about this before polling day.

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