Voting at a polling station

A polling card will be sent to your registered address before election day. It includes the address of your assigned polling station (probably a school, faith or religious centre).

On the day you will need to bring:

• an accepted form of photo ID
• your poll card (helpful but not essential, unless you're registered anonymously)

Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm on election day.

At the polling station:

1. Staff will greet you and check you're at the right polling station.
2. Join the queue if it's busy (you can still vote if you're in the queue at 10pm).
3. Staff will ask for your name and address.
4. They'll check your photo ID and cross your name off their list.
5. They'll give you your ballot paper (or papers if there's more than one election).

In the polling booth:

• read the instructions carefully
• mark your ballot paper with an X in the box next to your choice
• fold your ballot paper to keep your vote private
• put it in the ballot box

Staff can explain how to fill in your ballot paper, but cannot tell you who to vote for.

You can:

• ask for help understanding the ballot paper
• ask for a replacement if you make a mistake
• bring someone to help you vote if you're disabled
• take children with you
• take your pet (except in Northern Ireland)

You cannot:

• take photos inside the polling station
• tell other people how to vote
• wear political clothing or badges
• discuss the candidates inside the polling station 

Tell polling station staff if you:

• make a mistake on your ballot paper
• need a replacement ballot
• you have any concerns about voting

Read about the support and equipment that’s available to help you vote in person.

Staff can:

• explain how to vote
• provide a large-print ballot paper to help you see the candidates
• offer a tactile voting device
• help you find your way around the polling station
• provide chairs if you need to rest

You should:

• check you've marked your ballot paper correctly
• fold it to keep your vote private
• put it in the ballot box yourself
• leave the polling station

You can tell people how you voted after you leave, but it's illegal to reveal someone else's vote.