Voting Options: In-Person, By Mail, or By Proxy

Elections are your opportunity to have a say in how Nottingham and the country are run. You can vote in person, by mail, or by designating a proxy.

Voting is quick and simple. To begin, you must ensure that you are registered to vote. If you haven't already, you can register online by clicking on the link below.

Sign up to vote

You can also call the elections team at 0115 876 4111.

Students, members of the HM Armed Forces, UK citizens living abroad, and homeless people may require special arrangements. Visit the Voter Registration Special Arrangements page.   page for additional information  

Casting Your Ballot

You can vote in person, by mail, or by designating a proxy.

• Person-to-Person Voting
• Postal Voting
• Proxy Vote

Person-to-Person Voting

Voting in person at a polling station is simple, and there is always someone on hand to assist you if you are unsure what to do.

Prior to any election, you will be sent a polling card with your polling number, name, and address, as well as the address of your polling station, the date of the election, and the hours of polling. Your polling place, for example, could be your local library, church hall, or community center.   If someone in your household does not receive a polling card despite being eligible to vote, or if the polling cards are not in the correct names, please contact us as soon as possible.

If you have misplaced your poll card, you can use our polling station finder to locate your nearest polling station.

Locator of polling places

On the day of the election,

On election day, go to your polling place. The polling stations are open from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. Casecasecasecase daycasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecasecase You can also request to vote with a companion, or staff at the polling station may be able to assist you. More information about voter assistance for disabled people can be found on our dedicated page by clicking here.

Inform the polling station staff of your name and address so that they can ensure you are on the electoral register. You may show them your poll card, but you are not required to do so in order to vote.

Please be aware that beginning with the elections on May 4, 2023, voters will be required to show a form of photo ID in order to vote in person at a polling station. Click here for more information on acceptable forms of photo ID and how to apply for a free photo ID in order to vote.  

The polling station staff will give you a ballot paper with a list of the parties and candidates for whom you can vote. It will be embossed with an official seal. If there are multiple elections on the same day, you may be given more than one ballot paper. If you have a visual impairment, you can ask for a special voting device that allows you to vote on your own in secret

Bring your ballot paper into a polling place where no one can see how you vote. Carefully read the ballot paper; it will tell you how many votes you have. If you write anything else on the paper, your vote may be disqualified.

Finally, after you've marked your ballot, fold it in half and place it in the ballot box. Allow no one to see your vote. If you are unsure what to do, ask the polling station staff for assistance.  

The video below walks you through the process of voting in person at a polling station. Please keep in mind that this video was created prior to the implementation of voter ID.  

Postal Voting

Anyone can apply to vote by mail, but you must fill out an application form, which is available below. After submitting an application form, your information will be added to a list of postal voters, and you will receive an acknowledgement letter. Postal Vote Application forms can be mailed to us or emailed to us as a scanned attachment or picture. If you send your application form as a scanned attachment or picture via email, the image must be clear and show a signed form rather than a typed signature.

Postal Voter Registration Form

Send us an email with a scan or clear picture of the signed form at [email protected]

Alternatively, you can mail the form to the following address:

Electoral Services, Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG

You can vote by mail for a single election, for a set period of time, or indefinitely for all future elections. If you apply to vote by post indefinitely you will only need to apply again if you change your address

Prior to the election, you will receive a polling card informing you of your postal voting options.

You will then receive your postal ballot in the mail approximately 10 days before the election. It will contain your ballot paper, a ballot paper envelope, a postal voting statement, and a return envelope.

You secretly mark your ballot paper and seal it in the ballot paper envelope before completing the postal voting statement with your date of birth and signature. You must complete the statement correctly or your vote will be rejected.

The video below walks you through the process of voting by post.  

Proxy Vote

If you are unable to vote in person and do not wish to vote by mail, you may appoint someone to vote on your behalf. This is known as voting by proxy.

You must have a valid reason for requesting a proxy vote, such as working away from home, attending university, or being ill, among other things. On the application form, you must explain why you are unable to vote in person and who you wish to appoint as your proxy. If you want to apply for an indefinite proxy, you may need to have someone attest to your forms, such as your employer, lecturer, or doctor/nurse. After completing an application form, your information will be added to a list of proxy voters, and an acknowledgement letter will be sent to you and your proxy.

If you are going to be away from home for a specific election, such as on vacation, you can appoint a proxy for that election, which does not need to be attested, but you must provide a reason. You can find a proxy voting form for your specific situation below:

Disability Proxy Vote (indefinite)

Vote by proxy for a specific election

Overseas Elector Proxy Vote

Proxy Application forms can be mailed or emailed to us as a scanned attachment. If sent as a scanned attachment via email, the image must show a signed form rather than a typed signature.

Please return the signed and scanned form to us via email at   [email protected]

Alternatively, you can mail the form to the following address:

Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NG, Electoral Services

If you have a medical emergency or your job requires you to be away from home on short notice, you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy after the deadline for ordinary proxy applications has passed. Application forms for both situations are available below:

Disability (Medical) Proxy Vote in an Emergency

Employment Emergency Proxy Vote

Shortly before an election, your proxy will be sent a proxy polling letter that includes both your information as an elector and the proxy's information. They may bring this letter to the polling station because it will help the staff there find your information on the register, but it is not required.

Please keep in mind that beginning with the elections on May 4, 2023, voters will be required to show a form of photo ID in order to vote in person at a polling station. Click here for more information on acceptable forms of photo ID and how to apply for a free photo ID in order to vote.  

Your proxy will then be given your ballot paper, which they will mark in secret in a booth before placing it in a sealed ballot box, which will be counted after polls close.

A proxy is not required to vote in person at a polling place. They can vote by mail if they are unable or do not wish to vote in person. If you are already a proxy and would like to vote by mail, please call Electoral Services at the number listed below.

The video below walks you through the process of voting by proxy step by step. Please keep in mind that this video was created prior to the implementation of voter ID.

Please contact Electoral Services at 0115 876 4111 or email us at   [email protected]