As you’ll all have seen, a General Election has been called and Britain will go to the polls on Thursday 4^th July. In order to have your say on the decisions that will shape the country for the next five years, we’d urge you to go out and vote.

Below are some key details and dates that might be helpful in making a plan to vote:

• Registering to Vote: You will need to be registered in order to vote in the General Election. If you’ve never registered before, have moved house or have changed your name, you will need to re-register. The deadline to register to vote in the Parliamentary general election on Thursday 4^th July is Tuesday 18^th June.
  • A link to register to vote is here.

• Voter ID: You will need some form of photo ID to cast your vote, a passport, or photocard driving license will do. If you don’t have either of these, you can apply, free of charge, for a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’. The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate to vote in the Parliamentary general election on Thursday 4 July is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June.
  • Register for a free of charge ‘Voter Authority Certificate’ here.

• Proxy Votes: If you know that you won’t be able to get to the polling station on polling day, you can ask someone you trust to cast your vote on your behalf. This is called a proxy vote and the person casting your vote is often referred to as your proxy.
  • The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling station to cast your vote, or can apply to vote on your behalf by post. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote in the Parliamentary general election is 5pm on Wednesday 26^th June. You must also be registered to vote by 11:59pm on Tuesday 18^th
  • Register for a proxy vote via Gov.uk with the link, here.

• Postal Votes: If you know that you won’t be able to get to the polling station on polling day, you can also vote by post. You can apply for a postal vote if you’re away on holiday or because your work schedule means you can’t get to polling station. You can also choose to vote by post simply because it would be more convenient for you. You will be sent a postal vote ballot pack before the election.
  • The deadline to apply for a postal vote in the Parliamentary general election is 5pm on Wednesday 19^th June. You must also be registered to vote by 11:59pm on Tuesday 18^th
  • Register for a postal vote via Gov.uk with the link, here. 

• Polling Stations & Local Democratic Services: If you would like to check where your polling station is – and beware, these can differ from one election to the next, check which candidates are standing in your local area, or for any further details, please check your local council’s website.
  • A link to finding this information can be found here.

If you would like more details, please visit the Electoral Commission’s website, link here. The Electoral Commission website lists everything from details to registering to vote, how elections work, and even how you can get involved in the democratic process.

Don’t forget to vote on the 4^th July.