Electoral Services - Frequently Asked Questions

I am a student, where do I register?

Students may register to vote at their term-time address, their home address or both.  However, you can only vote once in the same election.

Can I register if I do not have a permanent address?

Click here for further guidance.

I am in the Armed Forces living in the UK.  How do I register to vote?

Click here for further guidance.

I am in the Armed Forces.  Do I have to register annually?

If you register as a Service Voter you will only have to re-register every three years, and the Electoral Services Office will write to remind you when re-registration is required.

Alternatively, you can download a form by clicking here.

Can I register if I am moving abroad?

Click here for further guidance.

Why should I register to vote?

If you do not register to vote, you will not be able to vote at any elections and therefore be unable to influence who makes important decisions on your behalf.

It is a criminal offence not to complete and return the annual voter registration form (which could lead to a fine of up to £1,000), or to provide false or inaccurate information (which could lead to a term of up to six months imprisonment or a fine of up to £5,000).

The register of electors is also used by credit reference agencies to verify residency of persons applying for credit.  It could be more difficult to get credit and receive financial services if you are not on the register.

Do I have to register to vote for every election?

In the United Kingdom, your registration lasts for a year.  This means that as long as you return your annual voter registration form, which will be distributed to your household every Autumn, or complete an individual application to register, you will be registered and you will be able to vote whenever an election is called.

Do not forget that if you move house or change your details, you will need to re-register otherwise you will not be able to vote!  It is better to be safe than sorry.  If you are not sure whether you are registered to vote, you can contact Customer Services on 020 8379 1000 for more information.

Further information is available on registering to vote by clicking here.

If the information on the annual canvass form are correct, what do I do?

Even if there are no changes to the pre-printed details on the form delivered to your property in the annual canvass period in the autumn, you must still notify the Electoral Services Office of that fact.

You can do so by either using the telephone, Internet or SMS services advertised on the form, or by signing the form and sending it back in the pre-paid envelope that will have been delivered with the form.

How can I find out who the candidates are?

Lists of candidates are published on this website before all elections.

Details of current elections can be found by clicking here.

Must I have my poll card to vote at a polling station?

You do not need to take the poll card with you to be able to vote, but it will help the staff at the polling station if you do so.

What are the hours of poll?

At all elections, the hours of poll, i.e. when the polling station will be open, are from 7:00am to 10:00pm.

Why do the election staff write down my electoral number at the polling station before allowing me to vote?

The law requires that every ballot paper has a unique serial number and that a record is kept of the serial number of every ballot paper that is issued to every voter.

At the close of the poll, the documents which list the serial numbers of the ballot papers and the list of to whom they have been issued are sealed in special packets and cannot be opened unless a court order to do so is obtained.

The reason this is done is to enable checks to be made should a legal challenge be made to the result of the election.  It is possible in UK law for the result of an election to be challenged through what is known as an election petition.  It is possible for the eligibility of an elector's right to vote to be challenged in the courts after an election.  If the challenge is successful, the court can order that the ballot papers of any electors who were not eligible to vote be retrieved and their votes discounted, and the result of the election changed to reflect the removal of these votes from the total.

This is a very unusual occurrence.  There are legal processes in place to protect the identity of electors and how they have voted from being discovered.  It is only in circumstances where a court orders that it should be done.

There is only a very short period in which a challenge can be made - twenty-one days from the date of the election, and if no challenge is made in that period, all documents are subsequently destroyed.

If I make a mistake on the ballot paper in the polling station, can I have a new ballot paper?

Yes.  If you make a mistake whilst marking your ballot paper, you should ask the presiding officer for a replacement paper.  Your spoilt ballot paper will be taken from you and will not be placed in the ballot box.

I don't know where my polling station is. How can I find out?

Your poll card includes the full address of your polling station and a map showing its location.  If you are still unsure as to its location, contact Customer Services on 020 8379 1000.

What assistance with voting is there at the polling station for people with disabilities?

Every polling station in the borough has the following available:

• A device to enable blind or partially sighted voters to vote unaided.
• At least one large-print version of the ballot paper displayed inside each station to assist partially-sighted voters.
• Any voter with physical disabilities who is unable to vote without assistance or who is unable to read may be assisted either by a companion or by the presiding officer at the polling station.
• Steps have been taken to make sure that all polling stations are wheelchair accessible.

Do I have to give a reason for requesting a postal vote?

No.  A postal vote is available on demand.

This request can last until further notice, for a particular election only or for a specific period only.  You do not need to give a reason for asking but you must make a written application.  Further information on applying to vote by post is available by clicking here.

Do I have to have the postal vote sent to my home address?

No, you can have the postal vote sent wherever you wish.  However, if you want your ballot paper to be sent to an address other than the one at which you are registered to vote, you have to tell us the reason why you want to do this. 

We can however refuse to send your ballot paper to the address you request if we are not satisfied with the reason given.  We will tell you if this is the case.

What if I make a mistake and spoil my postal ballot paper?

If you make a mistake when you are voting on your postal ballot paper, you can ask for another one.  To do this, you must contact the election helpline as quickly as possible as there is only a limited time in which to get a new ballot paper to you.  Before you can have a replacement, all the documents that came with your original pack (including the ballot paper itself) have to be delivered to the Returning Officer.

If you need a replacement ballot paper or any of the other documents that came with your postal vote, call the elections helpline on 020 8379 1000 as quickly as possible.  Replacements cannot be provided after 5.00pm on the day of the election.

If I have applied for a postal vote, can I still vote at the polling station?

If you have applied to vote by post, you cannot vote in person at the polling station.  However, on Election Day, you can return you postal vote to the polling station (before 10:00pm) or to the Returning Officer if you do not want to post it or it is too late to post it.

What if I asked for a postal vote and it did not arrive?

If you asked for a postal vote and one does not arrive, you must contact the elections helpline as quickly as possible as there is only a limited time in which to get a replacement postal vote to you.

When you apply to vote by post, the Electoral Registration Officer will send you a letter to tell you that your application had been received and accepted.  If you do not get a letter telling you this, then your application has probably not been received by the Electoral Registration Officer.

If you think you should have received a postal vote and you haven't received it at least four working days before an election day, then please call the elections helpline on 020 8379 1000 immediately.

What can I do if it's election day and I haven't posted my postal vote back?

You must post your postal vote in sufficient time so that it can be delivered by the Royal Mail to the Returning Officer by 10.00pm on the day of an election.

You are, however, advised to post your ballot paper at least two days before the day of the election to give sufficient time for it to be delivered to the Returning Officer.

You can, of course, deliver it in person at any time up until 10.00pm on the day of an election, to the Returning Officer at the Civic Centre, Silver Street, Enfield, EN1 3XY.

Please do not deliver to any other Enfield Council Office - particularly on the day of an election.

You can also deliver your postal vote (not just the ballot paper but its envelope and the postal voting statement) to any polling station in the electoral area.  To find out the location of polling stations, you can call the elections helpline on 020 8379 1000.

How long does my postal vote application last?

You can indicate on the form whether you want a postal vote for all future elections, for a specified period or just for one election.

If you choose to have a long-term postal vote, we can only cancel it if you ask us at least 11 working days before the election.

Further information on applying to vote by post is available by clicking here.

Do I have to have my proxy application countersigned?

Except for applications for a particular election or if you are registered blind, you will have to get someone to support your application to confirm that your reason for applying to vote by proxy is valid.  Read the notes that accompany the application form to find out if you need to get someone to support your application and who can do it.

Further information on applying to vote by proxy is available by clicking here.

Who can vote on my behalf as proxy?

Anyone can be your proxy as long as they are eligible to vote in that type of election and they are willing to vote on your behalf.

However, a person can only vote as proxy at the same election for:

• No more than two people to whom they are unrelated; and/or
• Anyone to whom they are related as spouse, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild.

What happens if the person I want to ask to vote by proxy for me cannot get to the polling station very easily?

They can apply to cast their proxy vote by post.  Your application for a proxy vote asks you to indicate whether this might be the case. If you tell us so, we will send your proxy the necessary form.

How long does my proxy appointment last?

This depends upon the reason you have made your application.  Please contact Customer Services on 020 8379 1000 for further guidance.