If you can’t get to the polling place on polling day, you can ask someone you trust to vote on your behalf. This is called a proxy vote.
Your trusted person is known as your proxy. You could ask a parent or carer, sibling, or close friend to be your proxy.
On polling day. your proxy will need:
- to know who you would like to vote for
- to know where your polling place is. This may be different to their own
In some elections, they will need:
When your proxy goes to your polling place to vote, they need to give their own name and your name and then they will follow the normal process for voting in person.
When acting as your proxy at UK Parliament elections they will need to show their own photo ID.
If you choose to vote by proxy, you need to apply for this no later than 5pm, six working days before polling day – but the sooner, the better.
Download a proxy vote application form now or ask your local electoral registration office to send one to you.
Unlike a postal vote, you need to provide a reason to vote by proxy for a single election.
You can usually only apply for a proxy vote for a single election.
However, you can apply to vote by proxy in all upcoming elections for these reasons:
- you are unable to go to the polling place because you are disabled
- you are an overseas voter
- you are away because you are studying
- you have to make a journey by sea or air from your registered address to your polling place
- you are in a certain occupation, for example, the armed forces
Someone such as a doctor must sign your form if you are applying on medical grounds, or your employer if on employment grounds.
If you change your mind and wish to vote in person, you can still do so, as long as your proxy has not already voted on your behalf.
If your proxy can’t get to the polling place, they can apply to vote for you by post. This is called a postal proxy.
