With the 2019 General Election a little more than a month away, those in Swindon looking to cast their vote should continue reading to find out everything they need to know.
Boris Johnson secured the third general election in four years, to be held on Thursday, 12th December, after winning a vote in the House of Commons.
Who is eligible to vote?
To vote in a general election, you must:
- be 18 or over on polling day
- be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen (i.e. a Commonwealth citizen who has leave to enter or remain in the UK, or who doesn’t require that leave)
- 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.
What is the deadline to register to vote in the General Election?
If you haven’t yet registered to vote, you’ve got until midnight on 26th November to do so. You can do this at the ‘register to vote’ website here.
Fill out the required information, including your name, date of birth and a few other details.
You will also need your National Insurance number, which can be found on you National Insurance card, or in official paperwork such as payslips, or letters about benefits or tax credits.
Do I need my polling card to vote?
If you have registered to vote, you will receive a polling card through the post from Swindon Borough Council which will have details of your local polling station and when you can vote.
If you forget to take your card with you on the day of the vote just let the polling clerks know your name and address when you arrive and they will issue your ballot paper.
What if I am away for the election?
If you are not going to be able to get to your polling station for the general election you can apply for a postal or proxy vote.
Postal vote
Applications can be made to vote by post for the 2019 General Election.
You must be registered to vote first.
To vote by post, first visit the Swindon Borough Council elections page and download the postal vote application form or call the Electoral Services team on 01793 464601 and ask for a form to be posted to you.
Your postal vote will need to reach the Returning Officer by 10:00pm on the day of the election for your vote to be counted.
Proxy vote
You can apply to vote by proxy if you are not able to get to the polling station on Election Day.
A proxy is someone who will go to the polling station and vote with your authority on your behalf. This can only be used if special reasons apply, as follows:
- Long-term illness or disability, such as difficulty walking, registered blind or partially sighted.
- You receive a disability living allowance.
- If the address at which you are registered as an elector is a residential care home or sheltered housing.
- Your job, or that of your spouse, may take you away from home or long periods at a time, such as a travelling salesman or long distance lorry driver.
- You or your spouse may be students attending a course away from home.
If you do choose a proxy vote, that person will have to go to your usual polling station to vote on your behalf.
A proxy vote application can be found on the Swindon Borough Council elections section on the website.
