A vote is a formal expression of opinion by an eligible person. Voting is a very common way of making decisions in groups such as a company or club, a group of friends or family or a community. It is also used in elections, where voters choose people to represent them at the local, county, state and national levels of government.
Choosing elected officials who will best stand up for the issues that you care about is vital to your everyday life. Whether it’s ensuring your local schools have adequate resources, the potholes on your street get fixed or you have access to healthcare or secure employment. All of these are impacted by the people who are elected to office and it’s up to you to ensure that they have your interests at heart.
Each voter receives a ballot paper with the names of all the candidates and parties that are standing to be elected in their district or region, along with spaces to mark their preferences. The votes are counted and declared at the close of polls. Each ballot paper has a watermark or unique identifying number and the presiding officer/poll clerk writes a list linking voters to their ballot papers, on separate paper (called the corresponding numbers list). At the end of the count this document is sealed in an envelope and may only be opened by order of court if an election result is challenged.
You can apply to vote by post (Opens in new tab) if you are not able to go to your designated polling station on election day, including British citizens living abroad and those unable to vote due to illness, disability or religious belief. You will need to supply your date of birth, National Insurance number and signature on the form.