Your location:

We’re showing you content for . Select ‘change’ to choose a different location.

You’ve made up your mind who to vote for and you want to vote – great! But how do you go about casting your vote?

How to vote video

Welcome to Your Vote - Ways in to Vote in Wales

Ways to vote

There are three different ways you can vote. You can choose the way that suits you.

These are:

  • Voting in person at the polling station
  • Voting by post
  • Asking someone you trust to vote on your behalf (by proxy)

Before the day of the election, known as polling day, you’ll receive a card, called a poll card. 

Everyone who’s registered to vote in your household will receive their own poll card.

Your poll card tells you where and when you can vote. Unless you’ve arranged otherwise, it will be assumed that you want to vote in person at the polling station. 

Remember to register to vote online. You don’t need to register to vote for every election, only if you’ve recently moved house or changed your name.

Asking for help

Just ask a member of staff if you’re unsure about anything or if you need assistance. They will explain the process and will be happy to walk you through it before you vote.

If you have a visual impairment, you can ask for a large print ballot paper, or a special voting device, to help you cast your 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 you can ask someone you trust, like a parent or carer.

Taking photos

Taking photos inside a polling station is not allowed as you may accidentally reveal how you or someone else has voted. 

You’re very welcome to take as many photos and videos as you like outside the polling station and share these on social media, but remember to be respectful of other voters.

Campaigners at the polling station

There might be people outside your polling station who belong to a political party. These people are called tellers. 

They are allowed to be outside the polling station, and may ask for the number on your poll card. This is so they can check who has voted, and remind people who haven’t voted yet to do so. You do not have to give them any information if you don’t want to.

Other campaigners may be near the polling station, which is allowed. But there must not be any campaigning taking place inside the polling station.
 

Voting by post

If you know that you won’t be able to get to your polling station polling day, you might want to consider a postal vote. 

This could be because you’re away on holiday or because your work, school or college schedule makes it hard to get to the polling station when it’s open. 

You can also choose to vote by post simply because it would be more convenient for you.

You can apply to vote by post for a single election, a specific period, or until you choose to change it. 

You need to apply for a postal vote with your electoral registration office no later than 11 working days before polling day – but the sooner the better. 

Download a postal vote application form now or you can ask your electoral registration office to send one to you. You will need to supply your signature on your application form, and again when you vote. This is to confirm who you are.

A postal vote pack will be sent to you before the election. Follow the instructions, put everything back in the freepost, pre-addressed envelope and post it to the council to be counted.

If you run out of time to post your vote, it can be returned to a polling station in your council area on polling day. You can return it yourself, or ask someone you trust to return it for you.

From 2 May 2024, you will be only able to hand in your own postal vote, and the postal votes of up to five other people, at a polling station.

Voting by post

If you know that you won’t be able to get to your polling station polling day, you might want to consider a postal vote. 

This could be because you’re away on holiday or because your work, school or college schedule makes it hard to get to the polling station when it’s open. 

You can also choose to vote by post simply because it would be more convenient for you.

You can apply to vote by post for a single election, a specific period, or until you choose to change it. 

You need to apply for a postal vote with your electoral registration office no later than 11 working days before polling day – but the sooner the better. 

Download a postal vote application form now or you can ask your electoral registration office to send one to you. You will need to supply your signature on your application form, and again when you vote. This is to confirm who you are.

A postal vote pack will be sent to you before the election. Follow the instructions, put everything back in the freepost, pre-addressed envelope and post it to the council to be counted.

From 2 May 2024, campaigners cannot handle postal votes. 

Voting by post

If you know that you won’t be able to get to your polling station polling day, you might want to consider a postal vote. 

This could be because you’re away on holiday or because your work, school or college schedule makes it hard to get to the polling station when it’s open. 

You can also choose to vote by post simply because it would be more convenient for you.

You can apply to vote by post for a single election, a specific period, or until you choose to change it. 

You need to apply for a postal vote with your electoral registration office no later than 11 working days before polling day – but the sooner the better. 

Download a postal vote application form now or you can ask your electoral registration office to send one to you. You will need to supply your signature on your application form, and again when you vote. This is to confirm who you are.

A postal vote pack will be sent to you before the election. Follow the instructions, put everything back in the freepost, pre-addressed envelope and post it to the council to be counted.

If you run out of time to post your vote, it can be returned to a polling station in your council area on polling day. You can return it yourself, or ask someone you trust to return it for you.

From 2 May 2024, when voting in UK Parliament elections you will be only able to hand in your own postal vote, and the postal votes of up to five other people, at a polling station.

Voting by post

If you know that you won’t be able to get to your polling station polling day, you might want to consider a postal vote. 

This could be because you’re away on holiday or because your work, school or college schedule makes it hard to get to the polling station when it’s open. 

You can also choose to vote by post simply because it would be more convenient for you.

You can apply to vote by post for a single election, a specific period, or until you choose to change it. 

You need to apply for a postal vote with your electoral registration office no later than 11 working days before polling day – but the sooner the better. 

Download a postal vote application form now or you can ask your electoral registration office to send one to you. You will need to supply your signature on your application form, and again when you vote. This is to confirm who you are.

A postal vote pack will be sent to you before the election. Follow the instructions, put everything back in the freepost, pre-addressed envelope and post it to the council to be counted.

If you run out of time to post your vote, it can be returned to a polling station in your council area on polling day. You can return it yourself, or ask someone you trust to return it for you.

From 2 May 2024, when voting in UK Parliament and Police and Crime Commissioner elections you will be only able to hand in your own postal vote, and the postal votes of up to five other people, at a polling station.

Here are some things to bear in mind if you decide to vote by post:

  • A postal vote can be sent to your home address or any other address you choose
  • Postal votes are usually sent about a week before polling day 
  • Postal votes can be sent to other countries, but you need to consider if there would be time for you to receive and return your ballot paper by polling day 
  • If you have been sent a postal vote, you cannot vote in person at a polling station 
  • Postal votes have to be received by your local council or polling station before polling stations close on the day of the election

Your location:

We’re showing you content for . Select ‘change’ to choose a different location.