Accessible voting

Everyone has the right to vote independently and in secret when there is an election. We put steps in place to ensure that you can do this, even if you have a disability.

Register to vote

If you do not know whether you are eligible to register, or to check if you are already registered, please contact Electoral Services.

The easiest way to register is to visit gov.uk/register-to-vote and complete the online form. Please note that you will be asked for your National Insurance number as part of the application.

Mencap and the Cabinet Office have created this easy-read guide to assist people with learning disabilities when registering online. The guide may also help if English is not your first language.

You can also use this easy-read registration form to submit an application to us by post or email, or call us on 01235 422422 and register over the phone.

Voting and accessibility at the polling station

My Vote My Voice have a quick guide on voting available here, and a full easy read guide on how to vote at the polling station available here.

Photo ID

Electors voting in person at a polling station must show a suitable type of photo ID.

You can check what types of photo ID can be accepted on the Electoral Commission website here.

Anyone who does not have an accepted type of photo ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate instead.

Accessibility

We want to make voting as easy as possible and ensure our polling stations are accessible for voters. We aim to:

Ensure that polling stations are wheelchair accessible, wherever possible.
Provide a doorbell for polling stations that have limited disabled access.
Provide polling booths suitable for wheelchair users.
Ensure large print versions of ballot papers are available in every polling station, with a copy that can be taken into the booth to help you mark your ballot paper.
Provide tactile voting devices and magnifiers to assist visually impaired voters to mark their ballot papers.
Provide writing aids (pencil grips) for people with limited hand mobility (or you can bring your own pen or pencil if you want to!).
Ensure seating will be available for electors that cannot stand for long periods.
Provide extra lighting for use inside the polling booth.
Ensure polling stations with on-site parking have spaces set aside for disabled parking.
Ensure staff at the polling station all wear a job badge (Presiding Officer/Poll Clerk) to identify themselves if you need assistance.

Did you know?

Polling station staff can explain the voting process for you if you are unsure what to do, and explain or demonstrate how to use the accessibility equipment available at the polling station.

Staff can also assist by reading out the names and parties on the ballot paper. The Presiding Officer can even help you mark your ballot paper.

You can also bring a trusted person to support you (e.g. a family member or support worker) if they are over 18. This person will just need to complete a short form to confirm they helped you at the polling station.

Additionally, we can provide coloured overlay sheets to help people with visual difficulties (such as dyslexia) read the ballot paper. Please contact the Electoral Services team before polling day so we can ensure this is available at your local polling station.

Polling station passport

If you are not comfortable requesting support verbally from polling station staff, you can print out and complete one of our polling station passports here and bring it with you on polling day.

Voting by post or proxy

If you don’t want to go to the polling station to vote, you can apply for either a postal vote or proxy vote. Further information can be found on our ‘How to vote’ page here.

Election materials

Electoral materials are prescribed by law, so we are unable to make changes to a lot of our wording.

If you wish to receive information about registration or elections in a different format such as Braille, large print, or in a different language, please contact the Electoral Services team for further assistance.