General Election 2024 – important information for residents

The key dates and links residents need to know:

• Find out who you can vote for – from 4pm on 7 June, after the nominations period has closed, visit whocanivotefor.co.uk
• Register to vote by 18 June - visit gov.uk/registertovote
• Apply to vote by post by 19 June (5pm) - visit gov.uk/apply-postal-vote  
• Apply for voter ID by 26 June (5pm) - visit gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
• Apply for a proxy vote by 26 June (5pm) - visit gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote  

People can find more information on our website – whitehorsedc.gov.uk/GeneralElection2024  
Sessions for those wishing to support people to vote in the General Election
The Electoral Commission is holding online sessions for charities and civil society organisations who wish to support their audiences with registering to vote and the requirement to show photo ID when voting in person.
The sessions will be held on: 

• 9.30am, Tuesday 4 June
• 6pm, Wednesday 5 June
• 10am, Thursday 6 June

If you would like to attend, please email [email protected] 

Voting at a polling station
You can vote at your designated polling station on 4 July between 7am and 10pm.
Registered voters should receive a poll card shortly before the election which will tell you where you need to go to cast your ballot.  Polling station details can also be found by entering your postcode on the Where do I Vote website - wheredoivote.co.uk

• To vote at a polling station you must bring photo ID with you – a wide range of photo ID will be accepted, including passports, driving licences and cards with a PASS Mark – you can see the full list of accepted ID on the Electoral Commission website - electoralcommission.org.uk/voterid
• If you don’t have the accepted photo ID – apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, at gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.  The deadline for applications for this election is 5pm on 26 June.
• People are encouraged to help friends and family members who may not have access to the internet or who may struggle to upload a photo for their ID application.

Voting by post
New applications to vote by post close at 5pm on 19 June - apply online now by visiting - gov.uk/apply-postal-vote

• You should return your completed postal pack using a Royal Mail post box as soon as possible - we must receive your completed postal voting pack by 10pm on 4 July, otherwise your vote will not count.
• If you applied for a postal vote – you should receive your postal ballot pack by 28 June.  Anybody expecting a postal ballot who doesn’t receive it by this date should call 01235 422528 to request a replacement.  Please note, we are not able to issue replacement postal ballots before 28 June so please do not call before then.
• If you miss the post, you can hand it in at our Abbey House council office in Abingdon (during office hours only) or at a polling station on election day until 10pm – please note, the person handing it in is now required to complete further documentation.   Your postal vote will be rejected if it’s not received correctly – please DO NOT leave it in any council office post box or unattended reception point.

Voting by proxy
Applications for new proxy votes close at 5pm on 26 June – apply online now by visiting - gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote

• if you vote by proxy, your nominated proxy will need to go to your local polling station and take their own photo ID. If they do not have photo ID, they can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate at gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate 

Information for the first-time voters
Anyone who is voting for the first time can find lots of useful information on how elections work, how you can vote and what happens on election day via our first-time voter’s guide at whitehorsedc.gov.uk/YourFirstTime