Voting

Voting in person

Poll card

If you are eligible to vote at a polling station, you will be sent a poll card which will inform you of the date of the election, where your polling station is and the hours of poll.

Poll cards are normally delivered to all registered electors around 2 to 3 weeks before an election, usually before the deadline for applications for postal or proxy votes.

This card is for information only. Do not worry if you lose it or forget it - you can still vote without it, although it will help the staff at the polling station if you take it with you.

Photo ID at the polling station

From 4 May 2023, voters in England will need to show photo ID to vote at a polling station. If you do not have the accepted photo ID on the list, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

Find out more about accepted forms of photo ID and how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.

Voting at a polling station

There will be at least 2 members of staff in the polling station - a presiding officer and one or more assistants, known as poll clerks. You will be asked by the staff for your name and address. If you have a poll card it will help the staff but you will still be asked to confirm your name and address.

It does not matter if you have forgotten your poll card as you will still be able to vote if you are registered.

The staff will check that your name is listed in the electoral register. When your details have been verified, you will be given a ballot paper, which you should take to a polling booth. A mark will be made against the register to show that you have voted. You will not be able to vote again in the same election.

Polling booths are provided to allow you to cast your vote in secrecy. If you need help to mark your ballot paper, for example, because you are blind, you can either ask the presiding officer to help you or you can take a companion to the polling station with you. You must inform the presiding officer if you want to do this as he or she will need to make a record of the number of votes not marked by the elector - this is to protect against fraud.

There will be a notice in the polling booth indicating how many candidates you can vote for. If you vote for more candidates than you are entitled to, your vote will not be counted.

After casting your vote, you should fold the ballot paper and place it in the ballot box, which will be situated next to the staff working at the polling station.

If I am unable to get to my polling station on Election Day, can I still vote?

If you are unable to get to your polling station on election day, you can apply to:

vote by post
vote by proxy (a proxy is someone who votes on your behalf)

Voting by post

Any registered elector can apply to vote by post.

Voting by post is an easy and convenient way of voting if you're unable to get to the polling station. Your ballot paper will be posted to you approximately 2 weeks before the election.

You then need to complete the ballot paper and the enclosed security statement and either post the pack back, deliver it in person to the Electoral Services Office or deliver it on polling day to one of the polling stations in the electoral area.

Whatever method of return is used, the ballot paper will only be counted if it is received by 10pm on the day of the election.

How to apply for a postal vote

The way you apply to vote by post has changed. You will now have the option to apply for a postal vote online at GOV.UK - apply for a postal vote.

If you need a paper postal vote application form to be sent to you, please contact the Electoral Services office at elections@enfield.gov.uk.

All applications, both online and paper, will need an identity check as part of the application process. Applicants will be asked for a National Insurance number. There will also be an exception and attestation process if you're unable to provide a National Insurance number.

Deadline for registering to vote by post

The deadline for the receipt of postal voting applications is 5pm on the eleventh working day before the day of the election.

No photo ID is required to vote by post

If you're already registered to vote by post or planning on applying for a postal vote, you do not need to provide photo ID or apply for a Voter Authority Certificate to vote by post. The photo ID requirements only apply to voters attending a polling station in person.

What information will I need to provide?

The application form sets out the information you need to provide. However, 2 key pieces of information are needed for security purposes - your signature and your date of birth. You will also now need to undertake an identity check by providing your National Insurance number at the time of registration. Both signature and date of birth identifiers will be stored and checked against those you provide on the statement that you will need to fill in and return with the ballot paper at an election.

Your signature and date of birth will be separated from your ballot paper before being checked. Giving this information will not affect the secrecy of your vote. However, if they do not match those originally provided, your postal vote will be invalidated for that election.

If you're unable to provide a signature for any reason, you can apply to have that requirement waived. In such cases, contact Electoral Services on 020 3821 1813.

See information about returning postal votes.

Other registration options

Student

If you're a student, you may be able to register to vote at your home address and your term-time address. If you're not able to make it to the polling station on the day, you can apply for a postal vote or proxy vote. The Electoral Commission has more information on voting as a student.

Homeless

If you do not have a permanent home, you can register to vote at an address where you spend most of your time (during the day or night). This could be a shelter, or any place where you sleep or spend a large part of your day. The Electoral Commission has more information for people experiencing homelessness.

Gypsy or Traveller community

If you do not have a settled address where you can be considered to be living, you can choose to register at a place where you spend most of your time or where you have the most local connection. The Electoral Commission has more information for people who are part of the Gypsy or Traveller community.

Voting by proxy

Voting by proxy is a convenient way of voting if you're unable to get to the polling station. By proxy just means that you appoint someone you trust to vote on your behalf. Their name will be held on a separate list at the polling station. You can vote yourself on polling day if necessary so long as you arrive at the polling station before your proxy.

Voting by proxy can also be useful if you fall ill and are unable to get to the polling station on polling day, or if you're abroad during an election. It can be particularly useful if you're overseas in a country too far away to send back a postal vote in time for the election (for instance, if you're in the Armed Forces and deployed overseas).

When do the changes come into force?

Online absent voting applications is expected from 31 October 2023. The rules of secrecy and who can handle postal votes is expected from May 2024.

Eligibility requirements

Any registered elector can apply to vote by proxy. However, there are different application requirements dependent upon the reason for the application, although you must give a reason for needing to vote by proxy in every case. You can apply for a proxy vote if:

you are unable to go to the polling station for one particular election, for example, if you are away on holiday
you have a physical condition that means you cannot go to the polling station on election day
your employment means that you cannot go to the polling station on election day
your attendance on an educational course means that you cannot go to the polling station on election day
you are a British citizen living overseas
you are a crown servant or a member of Her Majesty's Armed Forces
you are unable to go to the polling station as you have fallen ill or become incapacitated in the period immediately before an election

How to apply for a proxy vote

The way you apply to vote by proxy has changed. You will now have the option to apply for a proxy vote online at GOV.UK - apply for a proxy vote. A new version of the paper application will still be available on request from the Electoral Services department.

You will only be able to act as a proxy for up to 2 people living in the UK (or a maximum of 4 people, with 2 people living in the UK and 2 people registered as living overseas).

Deadline for registering to vote by proxy

The general deadline for the receipt of proxy voting applications is 5pm on the sixth working day before the day of the election.

However, if you fall ill or notified that you are required to work away after this time, you may apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day. In such instances, your application will, depending on the reasons, need to be countersigned by, for example, a member of the medical profession or your employer.

To cancel or amend a proxy vote, you must inform us in writing by no later than 5pm on the sixth working day before the election.

Photo ID is required for a proxy voting in person

If you're already a registered proxy, you will be required to show your physical photo ID at the polling station to vote on behalf of the voter. If you opt to apply for a postal proxy, then there is no requirement to provide your photo ID when voting by post. The photo ID requirements only applies to voters attending a polling station in person.

Photo ID presented from your mobile or tablet device will not be accepted.