Accessibility at polling stations

If you want to, you can bring your own aids to help you cast your vote. These could be:

• a phone torch to improve lighting
• a magnifier
• a text-to-speech app

If you’re using your mobile phone, don’t take any photos inside the polling station. 

How to find your polling station

Your polling station will be on your poll card which is sent to you before the election. You can also find your polling station by entering your postcode on our polling station finder.

Bringing a companion

If you need additional support to cast your vote, you may bring a companion to help you. Your companion must be aged 18 or over. They will need to fill out a declaration at the polling station. The person in charge of the polling station - known as the Presiding Officer - will explain this process to you at the polling station.

Bringing your assistance animal

Assistance animals are welcome at polling stations. 

Polling station staff are there to support you. They can help by:

• explaining the voting process
• providing you with assistance to move around the polling place
• providing you with equipment to help you cast your vote.

They will be wearing badges to help you recognise them. 

Your electoral services team have a duty to make your polling station as accessible as possible. This means it should have:

• ramps
• doorbells
• low-level polling booths
• pencil grips
• chairs or seating

If parking is available at your polling station, there should be spaces reserved for disabled voters.

You should contact your electoral services team before the election to find out what support is available. 

You can ask your polling station staff for:

• magnifiers
• a large print copy of the ballot paper to use as a reference
• additional lighting
• a tactile voting device

You can also ask for assistance from polling station staff to be guided to the voting booth and to mark your vote, if needed.

If you have any questions about access at your polling station, you can contact your electoral services team who will be able to advise you.

Requesting further support

If you need any reasonable adjustments to be made to support you to vote in person, you should talk to your electoral services team as soon as possible.

If you want to, you can take your phone into the polling booth to use magnifier or text-to-speech apps, or the phone torch to improve lighting. When using your phone, don’t take any photos inside the polling station.  

You can bring your own aids to help you to cast your vote. These could be:

• a torch
• a magnifier
• a text-to-speech smart phone app

Make sure you let polling station staff know that you are using your own aid to help you cast your vote. 

How to find your polling station

Your polling station will be on your poll card which is sent to you before the election. You can also find your polling station by entering your postcode on our polling station finder.

Bringing a companion

If you need additional support to cast your vote, you may bring a companion to help you. Your companion must be aged 18 or over. They will need to fill out a declaration at the polling station. The person in charge of the polling station known as the Presiding Officer, will explain this process to you at the polling station.

Bringing your assistance animal

Assistance animals are welcome at polling stations. 

Polling station staff are there to support you. They can help by:

• explaining the voting process
• providing you with assistance to move around the polling place
• providing you with equipment to help you cast your vote

They will be wearing badges to help you recognise them. 

Your electoral services team have a duty to make your polling station as accessible as possible. This means it should have:

• ramps
• doorbells
• low-level polling booths
• pencil grips
• chairs or seating

If parking is available at your polling station, there should be spaces reserved for disabled voters.

You should contact the Electoral office for Northern Ireland before the election to find out what support is available.

You can ask your polling station staff for:

• magnifiers
• a large print copy of the ballot paper to use as a reference
• additional lighting
• a tactile voting device

You can also ask for assistance from polling station staff to be guided to the voting booth and to mark your vote, if needed. 

If you have any questions about access at your polling station, you can contact the electoral office for Northern Ireland who will be able to advise you.

You can contact them by emailing [email protected] or by phone at 028 9044 6680

Requesting further support

If you need any reasonable adjustments that are not already provided, you can ask the electoral office

Not all requests can be granted but you may be offered an alternative instead. 

If you have any questions about access at your polling place, you can contact your Returning Officer who will be able to advise you.

You can also contact your Returning Officer to:

• find out what equipment will be available in your polling place
• discuss your needs
• request additional equipment or support

They will work with you to decide what additional equipment or support they can reasonably provide.

Not all requests can be granted but you may be offered an alternative instead.

If you want to, you can take your phone into the polling booth to use magnifier or text-to-speech apps, or the phone torch to improve lighting. When using your phone, don’t take any photos inside the polling station.  

You can bring your own aids to help you to cast your vote. These could be:

• a torch
• a magnifier
• a text-to-speech smart phone app

Make sure you let polling station staff know that you are using your own aid to help you cast your vote.

How to find your polling place

Your polling place will be on your poll card which is sent to you before the election. You can also find your polling place by entering your postcode on our polling station finder.

Bringing a companion

If you need additional support to cast your vote, you may bring a companion to help you. Your companion must be aged 16 or over. They will need to fill out a declaration at the polling station. The person in charge of the polling station known as the Presiding Officer, will explain this process to you at the polling station.

Bringing your assistance animal

Assistance animals are welcome at polling stations. 

Polling station staff are there to support you. They can help by:

• explaining the voting process
• providing you with assistance to move around the polling place
• providing you with equipment to help you cast your vote

They will be wearing badges to help you recognise them.

Your Returning Officer has a duty to make your polling station as accessible as possible. This means it should have:

• ramps
• doorbells
• low-level polling booths
• pencil grips
• chairs or seating

If parking is available at your polling station, there should be spaces reserved for disabled voters.

You should contact your Returning Officer before the election to find out what support is available. 

You can ask your polling station staff for:

• magnifiers
• a large print copy of the ballot paper to use as a reference
• additional lighting
• a tactile voting device

You can also ask for assistance from polling station staff to be guided to the voting booth and to mark your vote, if needed.

If you want to, you can take your phone into the polling booth to use magnifier or text-to-speech apps, or the phone torch to improve lighting. When using your phone, don’t take any photos inside the polling station.  

You can bring your own aids to help you to cast your vote. These could be:

• a torch
• a magnifier
• a text-to-speech smart phone app

Make sure you let polling station staff know that you are using your own aid to help you cast your vote. 

How to find your polling station

Your polling station will be on your poll card which is sent to you before the election. You can also find your polling station by entering your postcode on our polling station finder.

Bringing a companion

If you need additional support to cast your vote, you may bring a companion to help you. Your companion must be aged 18 [S/W 16] or over. They will need to fill out a declaration at the polling station. The person in charge of the polling station known as the Presiding Officer, will explain this process to you at the polling station.

Bringing your assistance animal

Assistance animals are welcome at polling stations.

Polling station staff are there to support you. They can help by:

• explaining the voting process
• providing you with assistance to move around the polling place
• providing you with equipment to help you cast your vote

They will be wearing badges to help you recognise them. 

Your electoral services team have a duty to make your polling station as accessible as possible. This means it should have:

• ramps
• doorbells
• low-level polling booths
• pencil grips
• chairs or seating

If parking is available at your polling station, there should be spaces reserved for disabled voters.

You should contact your electoral services team before the election to find out what support is available.

You can ask your polling station staff for:

• magnifiers
• a large print copy of the ballot paper to use as a reference
• additional lighting
• a tactile voting device

You can also ask for assistance from polling station staff to be guided to the voting booth and to mark your vote, if needed. 

If you have any questions about access at your polling station, you can contact your electoral services team who will be able to advise you.

Requesting further support

If you need any reasonable adjustments that are not already provided, you can ask your electoral services team.  

Not all requests can be granted but you may be offered an alternative instead.