Ways to vote

Voting in person

To vote in any UK election, you must be registered to vote.

If you have registered, you can vote in person at your local polling station between 7am and 10pm on polling day.  You will need to show photo ID to vote.

We will send you a poll card in the post before an election that will tell you where and when you can vote. You can still vote if you have lost your card.

We keep our polling stations as accessible as possible. The polling station Presiding Officer is also able to help you vote. If you or someone you know has an accessibility concern, you can contact us using the details below.

Postal vote

If you are registered, you can apply for a postal vote. You will need your National Insurance Number and a photo of your signature. Alternatively, you can download a postal vote form and return it to us.

Your ballot pack will be sent around 10 days before polling day. It will include a Freepost envelope. Overseas postal voters may need to pay additional postage to return their vote.  You should post your completed vote with plenty of time before polling day.

Postal vote handling rules

If you have not left enough time to post your vote, you can hand it to us. The following rules apply:

• you can give us your vote, and up to five others
• votes put into our letterbox will be rejected
• if you hand in your vote at Maidstone House during office hours, you must complete a form, and we must sign it
• if you hand your vote into a polling station on polling day, you must complete a form, and we must sign it

Any postal votes that are not handed in correctly will be rejected.

Political campaigners

It is a criminal offence for political campaigners to handle postal votes unless it:

• is their own
• belongs to a family member
• belongs to a person they care for

Proxy vote

You can nominate another registered voter to vote on your behalf. This is usually valid for one election.

You will need to apply to vote by proxy. You will be asked for your national insurance number and a photo of your signature. Alternatively, you can download a proxy vote form. The form you need will depend on your circumstances.

A permanent proxy can be appointed to you. You will need to give evidence and a reason when you apply. For more information you can visit The Electoral Commission.

Emergency proxy

In the case of an emergency, you can apply for an emergency proxy up to 5pm on the day of the poll. You can apply if you can not go to the polling station due to an illness or if you work in a specific occupation or service.

Send us your form

Please send all completed forms to electoralservices@maidstone.gov.uk.

You can post or hand-deliver to:

For more information about any of the voting options, you can email or phone the Electoral Services Office on 01622 602007