Swing the Vote: How Do I Vote?
Voting is a crucial part of civic engagement, and understanding the process is essential. If you’re ready to make your voice heard, here’s a comprehensive guide to getting involved in local volunteering through voting.
Understanding the Registration Process
To participate in elections, you need to be on the electoral register, which is a list of names and addresses of those eligible to vote. To register, you must be:
- 16+ years old (and due to turn 18 before the next election)
- A British, Irish, EU, or qualifying Commonwealth citizen residing in the UK
To register, fill out the electoral registration form, sign it, and submit it to your local electoral registration office. You can find your nearest office by entering your postcode here.
The Voting Process
Once registered, you will receive a polling card before an election, detailing the election, voting date, and your polling station location.
In the UK, there are three ways to vote:
- Polling Station: On election day, visit your polling station, complete a ballot paper, and submit it.
- Postal Vote: Complete a postal vote application before the election.
- Proxy Vote: If unable to vote in person, designate someone to vote on your behalf by filling out a proxy vote application before election day.
Get Involved and Make an Impact
Before the next election, ensure politicians address issues that matter to you. Join our Swing the Vote campaign and challenge them to act on the issues you care about.
Help us Swing the Vote by making a 15-second video starting with “I’d vote if…” and share it on social media using #SwingTheVote.
Further Resources
- Swing the Vote - How do I vote?
- Swing the Vote - Who do I vote for?
- Swing the Vote - The ins and outs of the general election
- Voting 101 - your ultimate guide to voting in the next election
- 5 ways to get involved in politics
- Swing the Vote: Young people DO care about being heard at elections
By participating in elections, you not only exercise your right to vote but also contribute to civic engagement and the democratic process. Let’s make our voices heard and drive positive change.