How To Vote
Am I eligible to Vote?
In Scotland, to vote in Scottish Parliamentary and local government elections you must:
- be registered to vote in the constituency (Na h-Eileanan Siar);
- be of voting age – 16 years old on polling day;
- not be subject to any legal incapacity;
- all legally resident foreign nationals may register to vote
- convicted prisoners who are detained and serving a sentence of 12 months or less may register to vote
You can register to vote at any time, not just during an election from aged 14 or over. If you are under 16 years old you can’t vote until you reach the voting ages noted above, your name is held on the register as an ‘attainer’.
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: 01851 619179
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 01851 619179. 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. The register is not maintained by the Comhairle.
How To Vote
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.
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.
Once inside the polling place, there may be more than one polling station. Street lists will help you identify where to go.
At the polling station staff will ask for your name and address 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.