On election day, go to your polling station. Your polling station is usually located within a primary school, community hall or public building near where you live. There may be more than one polling station in the building, but there will be information on hand to direct you to your current polling station.
When you have located your polling station, tell the staff there your name and address. You do not have to bring your poll card with you to vote but it might save time if you do. If you do show your poll card to the staff, you must remember to take it away with you.
Voters in Scotland now need to show a valid form of photo ID to vote in-person at polling stations for UK parliamentary elections. This currently does not apply to Scottish Parliament or Scottish Local Government Elections.
If you do not have an acceptable form of photographic identification, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.
There is an easy to read guide on gov.uk.
You will then be given a ballot paper (or ballot papers if there is more than one election on that day) and directed to a polling booth to cast your vote in private. In the polling booth you will find instructions to assist you in marking your ballot paper correctly. These instructions can also be found on the ballot paper. Mark your ballot paper as directed, fold it half and put it in the ballot box.
Staff are available in the polling station to assist electors so please ask questions if there is anything you are unsure of or if there is any additional equipment you may need to help you vote independently and in secret.
- A tactile voting device
- An audio description of the Ballot Paper
- A large print guide of the Ballot Paper
- A magnifier
- Assistance by companion
- Assistance by Presiding Officer
If you are not able to attend a polling station on the day of an election, you can apply in advance to vote by post or by proxy.
You can take your phone into the polling booth to use magnifier or text-to-speech apps, or the phone torch to improve lighting. But you must not take any photos or videos inside the polling station.