Communicating proxy appointments to polling station staff
If an application is determined or a new emergency proxy application is made after the list of proxies has been dispatched to the polling station, the Presiding Officer at the polling station where the proxy will be voting will need to be made aware, as they will not be on the list of proxies originally supplied.
Every effort should be made to contact the Presiding Officer directly to notify them that a proxy has been appointed, particularly as there is no requirement in law that a proxy must provide any documentation in order to be permitted to vote on behalf of an elector. Where possible, it is recommended that a supplementary list of proxies be issued to the polling station, which should then be added to the list originally supplied.
Local arrangements between you and the Returning Officer will be required in order to determine how any proxy appointments will be notified to a Presiding Officer.
For example, you could give the proxy of any voter whose application has been accepted a letter authorising them to act as a proxy, which would also include details of the person for whom they are voting. The proxy could then be instructed to take that authorisation with them when they go to vote and hand it to the Presiding Officer. The letter should then be retained with the list of proxies as a record that the proxy has been issued with a ballot paper.