Voting in an election is an exciting opportunity that we have as members of a democratic society. However, some of us do not value that option when we fail to exercise our right to vote.

Reasons to vote

Voting gives you a say on who runs the country and who sits on your local council
Voting gives you a say on important issues that affect you
All across the world, people have died fighting for the right to vote and be part of a democracy
Showing that you care with your vote tells candidates that they must be accountable to the public
Voting in elections sets a positive example to others who may be uninterested or unfamiliar with the electoral system

Who can vote in a General Election

To vote in a General Election you must:

Be registered to vote
Be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
Be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
Be resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
Not be legally excluded from voting

There are 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK Parliament.

MPs are elected using the First Past the Post system. You vote once for a candidate in your constituency and the candidate with the most votes becomes your MP.

Register to vote

You need to be on the Electoral Register to vote in elections and referendums. You can register to vote online or by post via the GOV.UK website. Registering online takes around five minutes and you'll need your National Insurance Number if you have one.

Find out the candidates standing for election

We publish details of the candidates nominated for election on our upcoming elections page.

You can also look up the candidates standing in your ward by entering your postcode on the Democracy Club website.

Vote in person

Most people in the UK choose to cast their vote in person at their local polling station. Voting at a polling station is very straightforward and there is always a member of staff available to help you if you are not sure what to do.

If you are on the Electoral Register, you will receive a poll card before the election telling you when and where to vote. The polling station is often a school or local hall near where you live. The poll card you receive is for information only, and you do not need to take it to the polling station with you in order to vote.

You can find further advice about voting in person on GOV.UK.

Vote by post

A postal voter is an elector who has applied to have their ballot paper sent to their home address, or another specified address. We supply special envelopes to enable you to mark your ballot paper in private and return to the Town Hall.

Vote by proxy

A proxy voter is a person who has been appointed to vote on behalf of another elector. The proxy will normally attend the voter's polling station and be handed the voter's ballot paper. In certain circumstances, the proxy may apply to vote by post on behalf of the elector.

Voter ID

The Elections Act 2022 requires anyone wishing to cast their vote at a polling station to show photographic identification to receive a ballot paper.

Visit our Voter ID page for more information.

Elections and voting

Local elections - 7 May 2026