Make sure you’re ready to vote in the General Election

Update 28/6/2024

Royal Mail delays to postal votes

Those who have applied for a postal vote but not yet received it due to Royal Mail delays can, from today. 28 June, pick up a replacement postal vote pack from the Elections Office at Oxford Town Hall. Please email the Elections Office to request a replacement.

Anyone who has not yet posted a postal vote and would prefer to hand it in, can do this at the reception desk at Oxford Town Hall, which is open from 9am to 7pm on weekdays and 10am to 5pm on Saturdays. 

They can also hand in postal votes at any polling station in the constituency on the day of the election. Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on 4 July. Those who cannot hand in their postal vote personally can ask a friend, neighbour, or relative to hand it in either at the Town Hall or at a polling station.

 Anyone concerned about the postal vote service provided by the Royal Mail can contact them here.   

Update 27/6/2024 

The City Council has been made aware that a number of residents have yet to receive their postal voting packs through the post. We have contacted Royal Mail to request confirmation of where they are still to be delivered and that all will be delivered by Friday 28 June at the latest. 

Anyone who has not yet received their postal vote pack by Friday 28 June or who has concerns about returning them in time should contact the Elections Team at the City Council so that alternative arrangements can be made. Email the Elections Office or phone 01865 252518. Please note, postal votes can also be handed in at the Town Hall, or at polling stations on the day. 

Update 26/6/2024

Please note, the instructions ask you to put the postal voting statement in the windowed return envelope. However, the return envelope actually has no window. Electors should simply return the statement and ballot paper inside the return envelope provided.

The deadline to register to vote for this election has now passed.   
 

Check you have photo ID 

Voters will need to bring an accepted form of photo identification with them when voting at their polling station. The Council is urging residents to make sure they are ready to vote by checking they have an accepted form of ID. These include:  

• a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport  

• a UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence  

• some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card.  

Voters will be able to use an expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.  

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms can apply for a free ID, known as a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC), online at the Voter Authority Certificate website or by completing a paper form - contact the Council's electoral services team at elections@oxford.gov.uk.  

The full list of accepted ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website, along with more information about the new requirement and details of how to apply for the free ID. 

Applying for a Voter Authority Certificate  

Anyone needing a VAC is encouraged to apply soon and not leave it until the last minute to make sure that the certificates can be issued in plenty of time. For more details visit the Government’s Voter Authority Certificate website. Voters will need to provide a photo, full name, date of birth, the address at which they are registered to vote and their National Insurance number.  

Voters wishing to apply for a VAC should first make sure they are registered to vote. Those not registered can do so on the Register to vote pages of GOV.UK.  

The deadline for applying for a VAC for the 4 July election is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June.  

Those using a postal vote do not need photo ID or a VAC, but anyone voting as a proxy will need to bring their own ID, not that of the person they are the proxy for. 

Anyone unable to attend a polling station on the day can apply for a postal or proxy vote.  

Applying for a postal vote  

A postal vote allows residents to post their vote to the Council in advance of the election. The deadline to apply for a postal vote in the Parliamentary general election is 5pm on Wednesday 19 June. You must also be registered to vote by 11:59pm on Wednesday 19 June. For more information and to apply online visit Apply For a Postal Vote. To download and print off an application, visit Apply To Vote By Post. 

Applying for a proxy vote

If you know that you won’t 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.  

You'll need to give the reason why you're applying for a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote in the Parliamentary general election is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June. You must also be registered to vote by 11:59pm on Tuesday 18 June. The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling station to cast your vote or can apply to vote on your behalf by post. 

For more details visit the Apply For a Proxy Vote webpage. 

Polling stations 

Registered electors will receive a polling card in the post with details of their polling station. You can also find out where your polling station is by visiting the Where Do I Vote. 

EU citizens, who are not British, Irish, Cypriot or Maltese, are not eligible to vote in UK Parliamentary elections.  
  
Students who are registered in Oxford and at their home address must choose one place in which to vote. It is an offence to vote more than once at a national-level election.  
  
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on 4 July. The count will take place immediately after with the results being announced once the count has concluded, likely to be the 5 July.  

Comment 

 "We want to make sure that everyone who is entitled to vote can do so - and that means being registered. Whether you are voting in person, by proxy, or by using a postal vote, don't miss the chance to have a say on 4 July."  
Caroline Green, Oxford City Council Returning Officer