Voting
Why Vote?
You should vote in the general and local elections if you are interested in your town and have views on how it should be run. Every vote counts and yours is as important as anyone else's - a strong and stable democracy relies on people making the most of their right to vote - don't miss the chance.
Who can vote?
To vote in the Poole Elections you must be 18 or over and either a British citizen, a citizen of the Republic of Ireland or for local elections, a citizen of a member state of the European Union.
Citizens of member states of the EU can also apply seperately to vote in European Parliamentary Elections from the UK, however this must be done annually.
Your name must also be on the Electoral Register 
.
How to vote
If your name is on the Electoral Register , you will be sent a poll card a few weeks before the election.
The poll card will tell you:
- When you need to make your vote
- Where you need to go to make your vote
There are three ways that you can vote.
- In person
- By post
- By proxy
Voting in person
Take your poll card with you when you go to vote. This will speed up the process when the polling clerk checks your details. If you lose or forget to bring the card you can still vote as you will be asked your name and address.
The Clerk will give you an official ballot paper once your details have been checked, stating:
- How many candidates are standing
- The party the candidates represent
- How many candidates you can vote for
At the polling station the staff are there to help you and if you need someone to read you the list of candidates they can do this.
After taking the ballot paper to one of the polling booths you will need to
- Put a cross next to the name of the candidate you want to support
- Don't write anything else on the ballot paper otherwise your vote may not be counted
- Fold the ballot paper to hide your vote
- Show it to the clerk
- Put it in the locked ballot box
Voters with Disabilities
Every effort is made to ensure that going to the polling station to vote is accessible for everyone. Arrangements that Poole have provided for you include:
- Taking a Companion
- You can bring a companion along to help you. Your companion must either be a relative or someone else who is eligible to vote in the election.
- Wheelchair access
- All polling stations are accessible by wheelchair. If assistance is needed to get your wheelchair into the polling booth the staff there may be able to help.
- Large print ballot papers - All polling stations will be provided with a large print copy of the official ballot paper. The large print copy can be taken into the polling booth with you to assist you to mark the ballot paper.
A 'Selector'
A special device, known as a 'Selector' will be available at each polling station. The Selector has been designed to enable visually impaired voters to mark the official ballot paper without assistance.
If you would like to make use of the Selector, make this known to the staff before you are handed a ballot paper. Staff at the polling station will explain to you how to use it, provide any assistance you may need and read you the names of the candidates and parties they represent to you before you make your vote.
The Selector is developed by Pakflatt (UK) with assistance from Surrey Voluntary Association for the Blind. If you would like to try out one of these devices before election day please contact the Dorset County Association for the Blind on 01202 677161, or email Poole Electoral Services or telephone 01202 633081.
Voting by post
A postal voting arrangement can be set up by completing an application form and can be either for all elections in the future, for a specific period or just for one particular election.
You do not need a reason to apply for a postal vote, it may be that you lead a busy life and it would just be easier to receive your ballot paper by post rather than going in person to your allotted polling station.
If you do want to vote by post, you can download one through our Apply For It section. Once you have returned your application you will receive confirmation by post.
What is a Postal Vote
Prior to the date of an election (about 7 working days before), you will be sent a Postal Ballot Pack, which will contain:-
- Declaration of Identity - a document you and a person who knows you must complete to prove that the Postal Ballot Pack has been received correctly.
- Ballot Paper - giving you the details of the candidates/Political Parties at the election and the number of votes that you may make.
- Ballot Paper Envelope A - to put the ballot paper into once you have marked it.
- Return Envelope B - to put the completed Declaration of Identity and the sealed Ballot Paper Envelope A into to return. This envelope is addressed to the Returning Officer and pre-paid so you do not need to put a stamp on it unless you are returning it from overseas.
The Return Envelope B with it's contents, must be received by the Returning Officer by the time and date of the close of the poll.
Once your completed application has been processed, you will receive confirmation of your voting arrangements. If you do not receive written confirmation within 4 weeks of sending in your application, it may mean your application has gone astray on it's way to us and you should contact us again to check.
Voting by proxy
A proxy voting arrangement is when an elector has appointed another person to vote on their behalf, either at their allotted polling station or by post (postal proxy).
If you cannot get to your polling station to vote in person and you do not want to receive your voting papers by post, you can appoint a person to vote on your behalf. This person can be a family member, friend, neighbour or anyone else that you can trust to cast your vote correctly. A proxy vote arrangement can be set up either for a particular election, a specific period of time or for an indefinite period.
An application for a proxy vote must be made to the Electoral Registration Office which can be done via email at least 6 working days before polling day.
The application form will ask you to give a reason for the proxy vote and may also ask you to have your application supported by a qualified person. Please read the notes carefully.
If you want to vote by proxy you can obtain an online application to vote by proxy from our Apply For It section or by contacting the Electoral Registration Officer at Poole Civic Centre. You will need to make sure that the form you get from the Electoral Registration Officer is:
Signed and dated by you
Posted or brought back to the Electoral Registration Office without delay.
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