Proxy votes
Provision of a facility whereby people who cannot attend the
polling station (usually for reasons of ill-health or employment)
on an election day can nominate another person who will vote on
their behalf. The proxy must be eligible to vote in the election
themselves in order to act on behalf of another person.
If a person suffers a medical emergency it is possible that
they can apply for an emergency proxy to be appointed up to
5:00 pm on the day of poll. An emergency proxy application
has to be supported and signed by either a registered medical
practitioner, registered nurse, a Christian Science practitioner
etc. more information included on the application form.
Can I apply to vote by proxy?
You can apply for a proxy vote as long as you are on the
electoral register. When you apply for a proxy vote you have to
provide a reason, for example, you are away on holiday or you are
in hospital. There is now an opportunity for electors who suffer a
medical emergency to appoint a proxy. You can even appoint a
proxy for a particular election only, i.e. parliamentary election,
by completing one of the forms below and returning it to Electoral
Services.
The deadline for appointing a proxy is 6 working days before an
election.
If you want a proxy vote for a set period of time or for all
future elections, you must have one of the following reasons.
- You are an British citizen living overseas, crown servant
or service voter
- You are away from home due to your job or you are on a
course
- You have a physical disability
In some cases, your form may have to be certified
by someone else to certify that the reason for your
application is valid.
How do I apply to vote by proxy?
Contact your Electoral Services and ask for a proxy vote
application form. If you are an overseas, Crown Servant or service
voter registered in Great Britain, you can download a proxy vote
application form from
The Electoral
Commission web-site.
Fill in the form and make sure you sign it. Your proxy can
also sign the form, but they do not have to.
Return your completed form to your electoral registration
office so it arrives at least six working days before the
election. In the case of an application due to a medical
emergency the closing date is 5:00 pm on the day of poll.
What happens after I've applied?
Your proxy must go to your polling station to vote. If your
proxy cannot get to the polling station, they can apply to vote for
you by post. Contact Electoral Services for more information about
this.
Your proxy will be sent a proxy polling paper before the
election telling them which polling station they have to go
to.
You must let your proxy know how you want them to vote on your
behalf, for example, which candidate or which party.
If you are able to go to the polling station on election day,
you can still vote provided your proxy has not already done so or
has not applied to vote by post.
A person who has been appointed as proxy due to a medical
emergency has to vote in person at the polling station the elector
would normally use.
External Website Links
Further information about proxy votes is available from the
Electoral Commission