Unable to vote in person
If you are unable to get to the polling station on election day, you can apply for either a postal or proxy vote.
How to apply
There are two ways to apply:
- Online
- Paper form (download, print and complete an application form)
Filling in your application
Instructions on how to complete the application correctly are provided on both the online and paper forms.
You will need to provide your date of birth, National Insurance (NI) number and signature on your application form. These are used to confirm your identity when you vote by post.
If you are unable to provide your NI number, you will be required to provide additional forms of identification. Please contact the elections team on 020 8825 7777 or by email at elections@ealing.gov.uk for further information.
Submitting your completed online application
If you are applying online, you need to complete the application in one go and follow the instructions provided by the government portal to submit your application.
Submitting your completed paper application
If you are applying using a paper application form, once you have completed the form and made sure you have signed it, you need to post it to the Elections office, Greenford Hall, Ruislip Road, Greenford UB6 9QN.
Postal vote
You must submit your application by 5pm, 11 working days before the poll.
Your ballot paper will be sent to you at your home or another specified address before an election. You can hold a postal vote for a particular election or for a maximum period of three years.
Ballot papers can be sent to addresses in the UK or overseas and will be despatched around 10 days before polling day. Your ballot paper must reach us before polling stations close on election day to be counted. If you are overseas and wish to vote by post we suggest you apply as early as possible in order to allow for international postal schedules. If you are applying late it may be better to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf.
Returning your postal vote
Return your completed postal vote as soon as possible by taking it to a Royal Mail post box.
Avoid asking a candidate or party worker to post it for you.
Your postal vote needs to be received by the Returning Officer or his staff by 10pm on polling day to be counted.
If you cannot post your postal vote in time, you can take it either to the Returning Officer’s office at Greenford Hall, Ruislip Road, Greenford UB6 9QN, Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, or to a local polling station on polling day. Please be aware if you decide to deliver it in person to the Returning Officer or to a polling station, you will be required to complete a postal vote delivery declaration for it to be accepted.
By law you will not be able to return your postal vote any other way. Postal votes returned in any other way for example posted through council boxes, delivered to other council offices, receptions, libraries etc. will not be counted.
Proxy vote for a particular election
If you know that you will not be able to get to the polling station on polling day, you can ask someone you trust to cast your vote on your behalf. This is called a proxy vote and the person casting your vote is often referred to as your proxy.
The person voting on your behalf can either go to your local polling station in Ealing to cast your vote or can apply to vote on your behalf by post.
When completing the application, you need to give a reason why you cannot get to your polling station in person. This may be because you are going to be on holiday, away with work, or are unable to get to your polling station on polling day due to a disability.
When applying for a new proxy vote, you must return your proxy vote application form by 5pm, 6 working days before the poll.
A permanent or long-term Proxy vote
If you will not be able to go to the polling station for the foreseeable future, or a long period of time, the application form you need to complete depends on the reason why you need a proxy vote.
If you require a permanent or long-term proxy application, please contact the elections team by email elections@ealing.gov.uk or on 020 8825 7777.
Proxy limits
There is a limit to the amount of people someone can be a proxy for. You can act as a proxy for two people. If you vote on behalf of UK voters who live overseas, you can act as a proxy for up to four people (but only two of those can live in the UK).
Emergency proxies
An elector may find that they are unable to go to the polling station after the deadline for arranging an ordinary proxy has passed. An elector may appoint an emergency proxy to vote on their behalf at the polling station in certain circumstances. For further information on applying for an emergency proxy, please contact the elections team by email elections@ealing.gov.uk or on 020 8825 7777.