Polling stations and voting at elections

At election time we receive many questions about the election process, such as who can and can’t vote, and how to go about doing it. The most common questions we get are answered below.

Who is eligible to vote?

• You have to be 18 years or over to vote at an election;
• All British, Commonwealth, Irish and other European Union citizens are allowed to vote in UK elections;
• European Union citizens are allowed to vote in European and local elections only;
• Overseas electors are allowed to vote in Parliamentary and European elections only;
• To vote at an election you must be on the Electoral Register.

How do I vote?

• Polling Station
• By Post
• By Proxy

What if I am unable to get to the polling station on election day, can I still vote?
If you prefer, you can apply to vote by post or proxy (a proxy is someone who votes on your behalf). In both cases only signed forms can be accepted. For more information please visit our By Post and By Proxy pages

Poll cards are delivered shortly before an election. Each member of the household who is allowed to vote should receive a poll card, which tells you of the date of the election, where your polling station is and the hours of the poll. You do not need to take the poll card with you to be able to vote.

When to vote
For all types of elections - local, general, parliamentary and European - the hours of poll are 7.00am to 10.00pm.

At the polling station
When you get to your polling station, the Presiding Officer (the person responsible for the Polling Station) will ask you to confirm your name and address and give you a ballot paper. The ballot paper will be marked with an official stamp, and will say how many candidates you may vote for.

You should take the ballot paper to the voting booth and mark with an "X" next to your chosen candidate(s). Fold the ballot paper and put it in the ballot box.

Where's my polling station?
Before any election a poll card will be sent to you, and this will have the address of the polling station. During the run up to elections we also publish the addresses of polling stations below:

• Polling stations in North Norfolk
• Polling stations in Broadland