How to vote
Voting as a proxy for someone else
You may be asked to vote on behalf of someone else if they’re unable to vote in person. This is called a proxy vote.
To be a proxy you must be:
- registered to vote
- allowed to vote in the type of election taking place
- able to vote at the polling station stated on their poll card
Who you can be a proxy for
You can be a proxy for either:
- up to 2 people
- up to 4 people if at least 2 of them are registered to vote from abroad
Proxy voting for someone registered to vote from abroad
The person you’re a proxy for will have registered to vote from abroad if they’re either:
- a British citizen living abroad (known as an ‘overseas voter’)
- living abroad because of work for the armed forces or the government (known as a ‘service voter’)
Service voters
Service voters make a ‘service declaration’ when they register to vote. They must be either:
- an armed forces member posted abroad, or their spouse or civil partner
- a Crown servant or British Council employee posted abroad, or their spouse or civil partner
Proxy voting in person
Before you vote you should find out which candidate (or referendum outcome) the person wants to vote for.
You’ll need to vote at the polling station where the person you’re a proxy for usually votes. This may be a different polling station to where you vote.
If you do not know which polling station to go to, contact the electoral registration office of the person you are a proxy for.
You may need to show photo ID to vote in some elections. Check what photo ID you’ll need. You do not need to show the ID of the person you are the proxy for.
If you cannot get to the polling station of the person you are a proxy for
You can apply to vote as a proxy by post.
You’ll need to contact the electoral registration office of the person you are a proxy for to get an application form to cast a proxy vote by post. You cannot access this form online.