Get election ready

The UK General Election is on 4 July. 
Register to vote by 18 June.
If you need to vote by post, you must apply to do this by 5pm on 19 June.
You need valid photo ID to vote in person. If you don’t have valid ID, apply by 5pm on 26 June for a Voter Authority Certificate.  
Find out more about voting and elections in Southwark

General Election 4 July 2024

The next general elections will take place on Thursday 4 July 2024. 

Voters in Southwark will vote to elect a member of parliament to represent them in their parliamentary constituency.

The constituencies in Southwark include:

  • Bermondsey and Old Southwark (wholly in Southwark)
  • Peckham (wholly in Southwark)
  • Lewisham West and East Dulwich (shared with Lewisham Council)
  • Dulwich and West Norwood (shared with Lambeth Council)
  • Vauxhall and Camberwell Green (shared with Lambeth Council)

Election notices

Please note: not all documents on this page are fully accessible. We're working to change this and will upload accessible versions as soon as possible. 

Who can vote

To vote in a general election you must:

  • be registered to vote by midnight on Tuesday 18 June 2024
  • be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
  • be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
  • be a resident at an address in the UK or living abroad and registered as an overseas voter
  • not be legally excluded from voting

European Union citizens cannot vote in parliamentary elections.

Register to vote

To vote in these elections, you must register to vote by midnight on Tuesday 18 June 2024.

Visit GOV.UK to register to vote.

If you're already registered to vote, you do not need to register again unless you move your address or change your name.

Poll cards

Poll cards will be sent in due course.

If you're registered to vote, you do not need your poll card to vote in person. When you visit your polling station, provide your name and address to the polling station staff who will find your details on the register.

Polling stations

Polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm on Thursday 4 July 2024. 

Your polling station may have changed since the last general election. Please check the map and address shown on your poll card.

You can also use the online polling station finder to check the location of your polling station.

If you need help finding your polling station, call 020 7525 7373.

Voter ID

Voters must show approved photographic identification when voting at their polling station. If you do not show a valid photo ID, you will not be allowed to vote on polling day.

Approved forms of photo ID

  • passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
  • driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or an EEA state
  • biometric immigration document
  • identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
  • Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
  • Blue Badge
  • national identity card issued by an EEA state
  • older person’s bus pass
  • disabled person’s bus pass
  • Oyster 60+ card
  • Freedom Pass
  • Scottish National Entitlement Card issued in Scotland
  • 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
  • Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
  • Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • War Disablement SmartPass or War Disabled SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
  • Voter Authority Certificate or a temporary Voter Authority Certificate

Expired photographic identification documents can be used as accepted photographic ID at the polling station if the photograph is still a good likeness of you.

If your name on your photo ID is different from your name on the electoral register, you should take evidence to support your change of name to your polling station, such as a marriage certificate or Deed Poll.

Voter Authority Certificate

If you do not have any of the above forms of ID, you should apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. This is an A4 document with your name and photograph. This document can only be used for voting purposes.

Visit GOV.UK to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. The deadline is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.

Find out more about voter ID on the Elections Act 2022 and voter ID page.

How to vote

There are three ways that you can vote in these elections:

  • in person at a polling station (you must show photo ID)
  • sending your vote by post
  • nominating someone to vote on your behalf (proxy voting)

Find out more on our Ways to vote page.

Voting by post

The deadline to apply to vote by post is 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.

You can cancel or change an existing postal vote up to 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024. To do so, email postal.votes@southwark.gov.uk with your name, address and the relevant details.

When you will receive your postal vote

Postal votes will be dispatched as soon as possible after the close of candidate nominations on Friday 7 June 2024.

Replacement postal votes

If you have spoilt, lost or not received your postal ballot pack, you can apply for a replacement from Friday 28 June 2024 until 5pm on Thursday 4 July 2024.

Replacements for lost or spoilt postal ballots can only be issued in person at Southwark Council Offices, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH between 9am and 5pm, Monday to Friday. You must bring a photo ID and proof of address with you.

If you cannot collect your replacement postal vote in person, or have any questions, email postal.votes@southwark.gov.uk or call 020 7525 7373 for more information. 

Returning your completed postal vote

Completed postal ballots packs must reach The Returning Officer by 10pm on Thursday 4 July 2024 to be counted.

If you miss the post, you can either take your postal vote to a polling station in the relevant constituency on 4 July or hand it to a member of the Electoral Services team at Southwark Council Offices, 160 Tooley Street, London SE1 2QH, during normal office hours, before closing of the poll. You must complete a form to go with any hand-delivered postal votes.

You can hand in a maximum of five postal votes for other people, plus your own postal vote.

Voting by proxy

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.

If you have registered for a postal vote, but would prefer to vote by proxy, you must cancel your postal vote by 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.

If the person you appoint to vote on your behalf does not live locally and cannot get to your polling station, your proxy can apply to receive your vote by post. This is called a postal proxy. If your proxy wishes to vote by post, both the proxy vote application and the postal vote application for the proxy voter must be received by 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024

For further information about voting by postal proxy, email postal.votes@southwark.gov.uk or call 020 7525 7373.

Emergency proxy

You can apply for an emergency proxy vote on the grounds of:

  • a medical emergency that occurred after 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024
  • work, employment or service reasons that you found out about after 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.
  • the form of accepted photographic identification that you were intending to use to vote has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed, or has not yet been received if applied for recently

The deadline to apply for an emergency proxy vote is 5pm on Thursday 4 July 2024. To apply, download the relevant proxy voting application form and email a clear copy of your completed form to emergency.proxy@southwark.gov.uk.

Information for candidates and agents

To become a candidate, you must complete and hand deliver your nomination papers to the Returning Officer during the nomination period of the election.

Nomination papers are available to download from the Electoral Commission’s website.

Nominations must be hand delivered between 10am and 4pm, Monday to Friday, from 10am on Monday 3 June until 4pm on Friday 7 June 2024.

You will need ten people who are registered to vote in the constituency to support your nomination. Please email to book an appointment.

The elector numbers provided by you on the nomination paper must be correct as of the June 2024 register.

For more information about standing at the general election, see the Electoral Commission’s Guidance for Candidates and Agents at UK Parliamentary general elections.

Electorate figures

 

Total electorate

Postal voters

April

192,293

45,054

May

193,601

44,937

June

 

 

July

 

 

Postal Vote Opening Sessions

Details of postal vote opening sessions will be published here shortly.

Page last updated: 08 June 2024

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