Practical tips for first-time voters

Not sure how or where to vote? Here’s our essential guide to voting in the UK General Election 2024.

Voting in your first General Election is an exciting experience. But how do you know where to go or what to do? We’ve put together the most important information so you can prepare to cast your vote in the UK General Election 2024.

When is the UK General Election 2024?

The UK General Election 2024 will take place on 4 July.

Who can vote?

To vote in the UK General Election, you must be aged 18 or over, a British citizen (or a citizen of a qualifying Commonwealth country or the Republic of Ireland) and registered to vote. The deadline for registering to vote in the UK General Election 2024 was 18 June.

To find out whether you’re registered to vote, you can contact your local council to check if you’re on the electoral register. If you’ve missed the boat this time around, then follow our essential guide on how to register to vote to ensure you’re up and running for the next election!

Where do I vote?

Once you’ve registered to vote, you’ll receive a polling card. This will tell you where your polling station is. A polling station is the place where people go to vote, and it might be located within a school, community centre or another venue. There will be signs outside so that you can easily find where you need to go.

If you haven’t got a polling card, don’t worry. You don’t need a polling card to vote and you can find your polling station here.

Polling stations open at 7am and close at 10pm so you’ll have plenty of time to cast your vote. Every polling station should have wheelchair access and will have members of staff present to help you if needed. 

What do I need to bring?

To vote in the UK General Election 2024, you must show a photo ID.

For young people voting for the first time, the most commonly used forms of voter ID are:

• A UK passport
• A UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
• A PASS-accredited student card

You can still use your ID even if it’s expired, but it’s important that the photo on your ID actually looks like you. You can find out about other accepted forms of photo ID for elections here.

What do I do at the polling station?

When you arrive at the polling station you can show your polling card if you have it or tell the person at the desk (the poll clerk) your name. The poll clerk will find your name on a list and check your ID. 

If you wear a face covering for any reason, you’ll be asked to remove it briefly so that the clerk can verify your identity using your ID. Female voters can ask for this to be done by a female member of staff in a private area. Face coverings only need to be removed to check voter ID and can be worn for the rest of the voting process.

How do I cast my vote?

Once the poll clerk has checked your ID, they’ll give you a ballot paper. This is a piece of paper with a list of all of the candidates who are standing for election in your area along with the name of the political party they represent. Some candidates won’t be standing with a political party and will be listed as independent.

There will be a box next to each candidate’s name. To cast your vote, put an X in the box to show who you are voting for. Take your time and don’t worry if your X is messy or goes slightly outside the lines. Your vote will be counted as long as it’s clear who you’re voting for.

If you make a mistake, you can ask the staff at the polling station for a replacement ballot paper.

Once you’ve completed your ballot paper, you put it in the ballot box – and that’s all there is to it!

Who can I vote for?

You can find out about the different candidates in your area here. Once you’ve put in your postcode and selected your address, you’ll get a list of candidates standing in your area. On each candidate’s page, you can learn more about them and their party as well as relevant links.

If a candidate is a current MP, you can find out more about how they’ve voted in parliament, and what they’re interested in and see recent speeches or quotes from their appearances in parliament on the TheyWorkForYou website. Because parliament is dissolved before a General Election, MPs are often listed as former MPs rather than current MPs on the site just before an election.

Who should I vote for?

This is completely up to you and it’s a very personal and private choice. The best thing you can do to help you choose is to find out about the people standing in your area and the parties they represent.

You can find out which party’s policies appeal to you most on the Vote for Policies website. Vote for Policies is a completely independent not-for-profit organisation and allows you to compare what the main parties say about different issues. You start by choosing the issues that matter to you and then compare key party policies on each issue. The site’s survey tool allows you to create a shortlist for each issue before choosing whose policies you like best. It’s a great way to get an impartial view of different parties and think about what matters most to you.

Can I tell people who I’ve voted for?

Yes, you can – but remember that political discussion is not allowed inside or immediately outside the polling station because of the risk of influencing others. If you want to chat about who you’ve voted for and why, wait until you’re further away from the polling station.

Who are the people outside the polling station?

You might be approached by someone conducting an exit poll. These people usually work for private companies providing information for news outlets and broadcasters. They ask voters who they voted for in order to predict election results, but you don’t have to answer their questions if you don’t want to.

You might also be approached by a teller. A teller is a volunteer who works for candidates or parties gathering information on who has voted. They’ll ask for the number on your polling card and use the information to check who has voted and to help remind people who haven’t voted to do so. Again, it’s completely up to you whether you talk to them and give them any information.

Can I take a selfie in the polling station?

You might be excited to be voting for the first time and want to record the event with a quick selfie but hold off until you’re outside the polling station.

In order to protect people’s privacy, the inside of most polling stations are photo-free zones. But you can hop outside and grab a selfie with the polling station sign to mark the special day!

What can I do if I can’t get to the polling station?

Sometimes things happen at the last minute that upset even the best-laid plans. If you can’t get to the polling station on 4 July due to a medical emergency or illness, work commitments, or an issue with your photo ID, you can request an emergency proxy vote. You can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 6 days before election day.

To get your emergency proxy vote you need to:

1. Fill out an emergency proxy vote form
2. Ask an appropriate person to confirm your reason for requesting the emergency proxy vote (e.g. a health professional if you’re ill or a colleague/manager if you have to work) 
3. Return your form to the elections team at your local council before the deadline (5pm on polling day)
4. Ask someone you trust who is also a registered voter to go and mark a ballot paper at your polling station on your behalf

So, there it is. Everything you need to know about how to vote in the upcoming UK General Election. If this has sparked your interest in all things political, then why not learn more about how to change the world around you by getting involved in politics?

If the UK General Election 2024 on 4 July is your first time going to the polls, enjoy it and congratulate yourself for showing up! By casting your vote, you’re helping to choose who gets to make important decisions about the key issues affecting people across the UK.

Find out more about how to vote here.

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