Information for Voters
How to Vote
Am I eligible to Vote?
To qualify to be registered to vote in a UK Parliamentary election you must:
- be registered to vote in the constituency (Na h-Eileanan Siar);
- be of voting age – 18 years old on polling day;
- be either a British, qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland;
- not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote – Peers in the House of Lords, being a prisoner serving a prison sentence or committing certain electoral crimes
Any British citizen living abroad who has previously lived in, or been registered to vote in the UK, will have the right to vote at UK Parliamentary elections. These voters will be registered at the constituency where they were last registered to vote, or where they lived if they were not registered to vote before.
There are also special categories for armed forces voters, crown servants, people resident in the UK with no permanent address. Please contact the electoral registration office below for more information.
Electoral Registration Office, 42 Point Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2XE.
Tel No: 0800 393783.
Email: ero@highland.gov.uk
Register To Vote
You can apply to register to vote online . You will need to provide your name, address, national insurance number, nationality and age.
You only need to register once, unless you change your address, name or nationality. You are not registered until you receive confirmation from the electoral registration office about your application.
You can also register by calling the electoral registration office on 0800 393 783. Completed forms should be sent to the Electoral Registration Office, 42 Point Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2XE.
The electoral register is maintained by the electoral registration office at 42 Point Street, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis, HS1 2XF.
In person at your polling station.
Prior to polling day, you will receive a Poll Card which will contain your own unique electoral register reference number and tell you where you should go to vote.
Voting at a polling station is very straightforward and there is always a member of staff available to help.
Postal Voting
To vote by post means your ballot paper(s) for an election would be sent to your home address or another address where you will be staying during an election. Postal votes are sent out around 5-10 working days before polling day and must be posted back to the Returning Officer at the Comhairle by polling day or handed, sealed to polling station staff on polling day by 10pm to be counted.
Postal voting is available to anyone and can be granted for definite or indefinite periods, or just for one election. If you apply for a postal vote for a particular election, please note that you will not be able to then vote in person at the polling station. You can also apply for a proxy vote, where someone you appoint can vote on your behalf by post.
You don’t have to wait for an election to be announced to apply to vote by post. You can apply at any time, provided you are already on the electoral register, however certain application deadlines will apply before the poll.
Deadline for Postal Vote
The deadline for applying for a postal vote is Wednesday 19th June 2024 at 5pm.
For those electors who applied for a postal vote in June, postal vote packs will be issued on Wednesday 26th June 2024.
Electors who are going to be away from home between 26th June to 4th July 2024, are encouraged to apply for a proxy vote. The deadline for applying for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 26th June 2024.
Proxy Voting
You can apply for someone to vote for you, this person is called a “proxy”. This is where you appoint someone you know and trust to vote on your behalf. If you appoint a proxy to vote for you, he/she must be willing to vote on your behalf and be eligible themselves to vote.
Proxy voting is available to people who cannot reasonably be expected to attend their polling station at elections because of physical incapacity, employment away from home, or attendance at courses for example. Temporary proxy voting is also available if a voter is away from home on polling day. A reason must be given why you cannot vote in person.
Your proxy will receive a proxy poll card before polling day, giving them details of how and where to vote at the designated polling station. A postal proxy is also available allowing your proxy to vote by post on your behalf, if they can’t get to the polling station.
If you wish to apply for, change or cancel your proxy vote you must contact your local Electoral Registration Office. A proxy can choose to vote at the polling place or via postal vote.
On Election Day
On an Election Day, unless you have a postal or proxy vote, you should go along to your polling place to cast your vote. Each polling place will be open from 7am to 10pm to allow sufficient time for everyone to vote. Please make sure beforehand that you are registered to vote.
Your poll card tells you where you should go to vote. It is likely to be a school or a community building near to where you live.
At the polling station staff will ask for your name, address and Voter ID and check that you are on the register.
For UK Parliamentary Elections only, you will need to bring photo ID. If you don’t have accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate. More information on accepted forms of photo ID, how to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate, and what to expect on polling day, can be viewed on the Electoral Commission Voter ID Website.
Voting if you have a disability
If you need assistance with registering to vote, or materials in another format please contact the Electoral Registration Office on 0800 393 783 or by email at: ero@highland.gov.uk
You can apply to register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. You will need your National Insurance number to hand. An easy to read guide is available on how to use this service.
For voters who are partially sighted a large print Invitation-to-register-large-print-form-Scotland.pdf (electoralcommission.org.uk) is available to download from the Electoral Commission website.
The Electoral Commission has published guides with information on how to register and how to apply for a postal or proxy vote in British Sign Language (BSL). Easy read and audio, Braille and audio CD versions of the voting guide are available on request by calling 0800 393 783.
Taking someone with you
Anyone who has a disability can now take someone with them into the polling station to help them to vote. The person helping you must be of the legal age to vote.
Accessing the Polling Station
As far as reasonable and practicable, accessibility needs of electors have been considered, with providing equipment and reasonable adjustments as follows:
- Car park with a temporary or permanent marked disabled car parking space close to the access door;
- Level or permanent/temporary ramps access for wheelchairs. The ramped access may be through an alternative door to the main door, this will be signposted.
Inside the Polling Station
- A low-level disabled polling booth will be available in every polling place suitable for use with a wheelchair;
- Chairs for people who cannot stand for long periods
- An accessibility voting pack which contains large copies of the ballot paper, tactile voting devices for people with visual impairment, large magnifiers, and any other equipment where possible to improve accessibility
