Published Friday, 28th June 2024
With only a few days left until the UK parliamentary general election, we are urging Reigate & Banstead voters to make sure they are ready to vote on Thursday 4 July.
In particular, if you are voting in person on polling day, remember to bring your photo ID as you will need to show it before you can receive your ballot paper.
To help answer some of the most common questions we get asked around polling day, such as what photo ID is accepted, what to do if you’ve lost your postal vote, or if you forget to send your postal vote back in time, we’ve put together a voting guide.
Use your vote
Mari Roberts-Wood said: “Take a look at our voting guide to make sure you’re ready to have your say on 4 July. Parliamentary elections are your opportunity to choose who represents you and makes decisions on important national matters, so be sure to use your vote.
“If you’re voting in person, don’t forget to bring your photo ID because you’ll need it to be able to cast your vote. Also check the information on your poll card before going to vote in case your polling station has changed since the last election. You do not need your poll card to vote, but it helps if you bring it with you to make the process quicker.”
Craig Westwood, Director of Communications at the Electoral Commission, said: “Anyone voting in the general election will need to show photo ID before they can be given their ballot paper. Before you head to the polling station, double check you have the right identification with you to enable you to vote. If you get to a polling station and you have forgotten your ID, you can return later with it before the polls close and cast your vote.”
Voting in person at a polling station
Remember your voter ID
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 4 July. If you’re voting in person, you will need to show ID at the polling station or you won’t be able to vote. This is a requirement under the Elections Act, introduced last year, and it is the first time in a UK general election that photo ID is required.
Many forms of photo ID are accepted, including your UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA drivers’ licence; a biometric immigration document; some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card; and the free Voter Authority Certificate. You can still use expired photo ID, as long as it still looks like you. The name on your ID must be the same name you used to register to vote.
If you get to the polling station and have not got a valid form of ID, you will be asked to return with a photo ID that is accepted. There will be a private area for people to show their identity if needed, such as those who wear face coverings.
If voters lose their ID, or their Voter Authority Certificate does not arrive in time for election day, they can appoint an emergency proxy to vote on their behalf up until 5pm on election day. The person appointed as proxy must have their own acceptable photo ID.
To see the full list of photo ID you can use, visit the Electoral Commission’s website.
Poll cards and how to find your polling station
In person voters will have been sent a poll card which will tell them which polling station to go to. Make sure you check it before heading out, in case your polling station has changed since the last time you voted. You do not need your poll card to vote, but it helps if you bring it with you to make the process quicker.
If you have not received your poll card by polling day, as long as you have registered to vote, and have a valid form of ID, you will still be able to vote. You can find your polling station by entering your postcode into the Where I Live search bar on our website or at www.wheredoivote.co.uk. You will need to go to your designated polling station; you can’t go to a different one, for example, near where you work.
How to complete your ballot paper
Take your time: read the ballot paper carefully and complete it in line with the instructions. Don't write anything else on the paper, or your vote may be spoiled and not counted. If you make a mistake, as long as you haven't already put it in the ballot box, just let the polling station staff know and they can give you a replacement ballot paper. Once you are done, fold your completed ballot paper in half and put it in the ballot box on the desk beside the poll clerks. Staff will be on hand at polling stations to assist voters with any questions about filling out their ballot paper.
The Electoral Commission has produced a helpful video that shows what to expect at a polling station
If you need help
Our polling stations have ramps, wheelchair accessible polling booths, and visual aids. Polling station staff will be on hand to help anyone who needs it, and carers or support workers can also help. Assistance dogs are welcome too. If you have a visual impairment, you can ask for a large print ballot paper to refer to when you cast your vote, or a special tactile voting device to enable you to mark your ballot paper on your own.
Voting by post
If you have opted to vote by post, make sure you return your postal ballot in good time. If you don't get around to posting yours in time, you can hand it in at your polling station or hand deliver it to the Town Hall, Reigate up until 10pm on polling day. You can find your polling station by entering your postcode into the website www.wheredoivote.co.uk.
There are changes to handing in postal votes this year, which mean you can now only hand in your own postal vote, and the postal votes of up to five other people. When handing in postal votes, you will now need to complete a form, including your name and address, how many postal votes you are handing in and why you are handing in those postal votes. If you need help completing your postal vote, watch this ‘how to’ video.
Voting by proxy
If you have applied for someone to vote on your behalf (a proxy), they will receive a proxy poll card telling them where and when to vote for you. If you are voting on behalf of someone else as their proxy, remember that you need to go to their polling station to do so, rather than yours, and you will need to take your own photo ID to the polling station to be able to vote.
There is also now a limit on the number of people you can act as a proxy for - up to two people living in the UK. If you vote on behalf of UK voters who live overseas, you can act as a proxy for up to four people, but only two of those can live in the UK.
How to vote if you have an emergency
In certain circumstances, where you have an emergency that means you are unable to vote in person, you may be eligible to apply for an emergency proxy to vote on your behalf. They must be registered and have their own acceptable photo ID to be able to vote.
Find out more on the Electoral Commission’s website. Alternatively, please call our elections line on 01737 276794 or email elreg@reigate-banstead.gov.uk to request an application form.
Candidates standing for election
You can see who is standing for election in your constituency by looking at the Statement of Persons Nominated on the Who is standing for election page, and you can find more information about them on the national Who Can I Vote For? website.
As a result of national changes to parliamentary constituency boundaries, some wards in the borough fall under a different Parliamentary constituency than in the past. Please see the 2023 Review of Parliamentary Constituencies page for a ward by ward breakdown.
Other common questions
Coming with family, friends, children or your dog?
You can go to the polling station with whomever you like, but only those adults registered to vote at that station will be able to go inside.
You must not be accompanied into the polling booth by another adult, unless you have a disability, in which case you can take someone in to help you, or you can ask one of the polling station staff for their help. Children are welcome. While your child must not mark the ballot paper for you, you can take them into the polling booth with you. Animals, apart from assistance dogs, are not usually allowed inside, so will need to be secured outside if you do decide to take them with you. Share your #dogsatpollingstations and #petsatpollingstations photos with us on social media.
Photos or selfies
You are not allowed to take photos inside the polling station as it puts the secrecy of the ballot at risk. You are welcome to take photos outside the polling station and share them on social media to let others know you have voted and encourage them to vote too.
Tellers
Tellers might be outside the polling station and ask you for the number on your poll card. They are volunteering on behalf of candidates or parties and use the information to check who has voted, and to remind people who haven't yet voted, to do so.
They are allowed to be there and to ask for the information, but you don't have to give it to them if you don’t want to. If you are concerned about the conduct of a teller, speak to a member of polling station staff.
Should I tell anyone who I voted for?
Your vote is yours and yours alone: you do not need to tell anyone how you voted.
Exit polls are sometimes conducted - usually by private companies working for newspapers or broadcasters - to ask voters who they voted for to help them predict what the outcome might be. You do not need to answer their questions if you don’t want to.
Political discussion is not allowed inside or immediately around the polling station so that there is no risk of influencing other voters. If you want to debate your vote with friends or family, please do it away from the polling station.
More information
- Visit the Voting and elections section of our website
- To find out more about voting visit: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter
- Watch the video ‘What to expect at the polling station’ from the Electoral Commission.
- For information on accessible voting see our How to vote page.
If after reading this you still have questions you can email elreg@reigate-banstead.gov.uk or call our elections helpline on 01737 276794.