Voting by proxy or post

Someone voting on behalf of another is called a proxy. You have to be 18 or over on the date of the election and a citizen from the UK, a qualifying Commonwealth country, the Republic of Ireland or a member of the European Union. You can only act as a proxy for two people, unless you also act for close family members.

You can apply to vote by proxy by downloading a form on the electoral commission website and posting it to us.

You can vote by proxy for one election, if you are unable to get to the polling station. You must provide the electoral registration officer with the reason that you are unable to get to the polling station e.g. being on holiday.

Voting by post is an easy and convenient way to use your right to vote. Anyone who is registered to vote is also allowed to vote by post.

To vote by post you need to complete an application form. This form requires you to provide two personal identifiers, ie your date of birth and your signature. This information is retained by electoral services.

At election time you will be required to provide these personal identifiers again when you return your vote. In this way we can check your vote against our records and protect against postal vote election fraud.

If you aren't registered to vote your application form won't be accepted. To check you are on the electoral register contact us on 020 7525 7373. If you are not on the register you must register and at the same time send in your postal vote or proxy vote application form.