Voting in local elections across the UK is a fairly straightforward affair. If you are over 18 (16 in Scotland and Wales), British or other qualified person, and registered to vote, casting your ballot is simply a matter of heading to the polls when they're open. If you don't care to vote in person, you may vote by post or by proxy. This article explains the details of voting in UK local elections.
Key Points About Local Election Votes
- You must be at least 18 years old (16 in Scotland and Wales).
- You must be a British or Commonwealth citizen; certain settled persons may also vote.
- You must be registered to vote.
- You have a choice of three voting methods: in person, by proxy, or by mail.
Registering for Local Election Voting
For your vote to count, you must register your intent to cast a ballot. Doing so is easy through the UK government's online access portal. Before you click the link, you should know what qualifies a person to be a legal UK voter.
Are You Eligible to Vote?
Every country has voter eligibility requirements; in the UK, they're fairly simple1.
If you fit any of these four criteria, you are eligible to vote. Before heading to the government's voter registration platform, gather your eligibility documents.
Your national insurance number
Proof of your current address
Now, with your bona fides assured and your documentation in reach, it's time to click the link above so you can register to vote.
Explaining Voter ID Rules
When voting in person in Wales, Scotland or England, you must show a valid identification before casting your ballot2. The UK accepts more than 20 forms of ID for voting purposes; these types are among the most commonly used valid proof of ID:
Driver's licence
passport
bank card
Veteran's cards, Oyster 60+ cards, and PASS cards can also serve as valid ID for voting purposes. Often, you may use an expired ID card, provided you look the same as when that photo was taken. Be sure to check if that's acceptable with your local election authority ahead of election day so you don't miss your chance to cast your ballot.
If you lack sufficient identification, you may apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.
A Voter Authority Certificate is a paper document with your picture on it. It is not a legitimate form of ID for any other purpose than voting. You may obtain one free of charge.
A Word on Settled Status Voters
Above, you read that certain EU citizens with settled status may vote in UK elections. Even as general statements go, that covers far too much ground. Settled status voters don't get to vote in every election. If you're a settled-status voter, these are the polls you have access to.
Furthermore, voters with settled status living in England and Northern Ireland may only vote in local elections if they come from a country with reciprocal voting rights agreements. In other words, if your country of origin doesn't allow UK citizens to vote in the country's local elections, you won't get to vote in UK elections.
Only five countries have such an agreement with the UK.
They are: Poland, Denmark, Portugal, Luxembourg, and Spain.
If you moved to the UK from one of those countries, you have the right to enjoy limited voting privileges in England and Northern Ireland.
How to Vote in Local Elections
Considering the generous ID and voter registration rules, you might guess that the UK government wants all eligible voters to have their turn at the ballot box. The three pathways to voting3 it offers furthers that impression.
Voting in person
On election day, you'll report to your local polling station, present your ID, and cast your ballot.
Voting by mail
You'll request your ballot online, receive it by mail, fill it out and return it by a specified date.
Voting by proxy
You inform the government that someone else will vote for you in your stead.
Your choices are not set in stone. You may change your voting method as needed; by completing a form your local election authority provides. However, you have limits on that flexibility. For instance, your application to change your voting method must be on file 11 working days before polling day4.
When you register to vote, you'll choose which voting method you prefer.
Note that your local election authority may have other rules governing voting method changes. Be sure to check with your local polling office well ahead of your next local election. You'll want to be sure that you make any changes you need to as soon as possible before it's time to vote.
Who Can I Vote for in Local Elections?
In the UK, in local as well as parliamentary elections, voters may only vote for candidates listed on that election's ballot. It is illegal to write-in a candidate for any election, at any level. At the very least, your ballot will be rejected. At worst, you may face legal consequences.
UK ballots do not offer a 'none of the above' selection.
Voters must select one of the candidates on the ballot.
Accessibility and Local Election Voting
Besides proxy voting and mail-in voting, UK election offices go out of their way to make voting as accessible as possible. Polling stations are outfitted with a range of features to make voting as accommodating as possible.
- Magnifiers
- extra lighting
- large-print ballot papers
- voting companions
- staff support
- mobility assistance
- tactile voting devices
- audio devices/support (on request)
The election centres don't do that simply out of the kindness of their hearts. These features are in place thanks to the Equality Act of 2010 and the 2022 Elections Act5. To highlight the country's commitment to these principles, every guide to UK elections includes a section that covers accessibility and accommodations.
Voting in Local Elections: What Happens Next?
The ballots don’t make the results, the counters make the results.
From the film Gangs of New York
Now, having learnt all about who can vote and how voting happens, and after you've registered to vote, you must be looking forward to making your first selections at the ballot box. As such, you'll likely appreciate a timetable of elections being held in 2026.
You're also likely curious about what happens to your (and everybody's) ballots after they're cast. After the madness of people swarming into polling stations - one day to collect everyone's vote! - all those votes must be counted. Sorting and counting ballots is the most immediate post-voting action.
In the UK, election results are usually complete around 8 hours after the polls close6.
As you might imagine, the counting process is a flurry of activity; it happens in two phases. The first begins as soon as the polling station closes, typically 10:00 at night. The second starts sometime around 2:00 in the morning.
Once their second count is complete, the polling stations must send their results to the Election Commission. The commission certifies the results, after which they may be presented to the public.
Election results are typically made public the morning after polling day.
As with everything election-related, none of this is set in stone. For example, local elections may take longer to count and certify. Some councils may wait a full day before revealing the election's outcome. For citizens keen to know the election's outcome, they may tune into their local nightly news for exit poll results.
An exit poll is a survey conducted at the polling station immediately after voters cast their ballots. Voters may reveal why they voted as they did and the issues that influenced their votes.
Exit polls don't always mirror election results, but statistics show a strong correlation between exit polling and election results across the UK7. They also deliver important information to the newly elected officials thanks to the questions about the issues guiding people's votes.
In the UK, voters don't have to wait too long to learn their elections' outcomes. That's a nice benefit, but the most important outcome is that you've become a civically engaged citizen from the second you cast your first ballot.
Local Election Votes: Supporting Information
- Johnston, Neil. “Who Can Vote in UK Elections?” Commonslibrary.parliament.uk, 3 May 2021, commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8985/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
- Clarke, Jennifer. “What Photo ID Will You Need to Vote in the May Elections?” BBC, 13 Mar. 2023, www.bbc.com/news/articles/czjg288xk93o. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
- The Electoral Commission. “Voting and Elections | Electoral Commission.” Www.electoralcommission.org.uk, www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
- The Electoral Commission. “Changing or Cancelling a Proxy Vote.” Electoralcommission.org.uk, 2026, www.electoralcommission.org.uk/running-electoral-registration-wales/absent-voting/proxy-voting/changing-or-cancelling-a-proxy-vote. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
- “Verifying Your Connection.” Inclusionlondon.org.uk, 2026, www.inclusionlondon.org.uk/campaigns-and-policy/how-to-campaign/london-mayoral-election-2024-toolkit/accessible-voting-upholding-the-rights-of-disabled-voters/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
- Groome, Imogen. “How Are General Election Votes Counted? All about the Results Process.” Metro, 8 June 2017, metro.co.uk/2017/06/08/how-are-general-election-votes-counted-all-about-the-results-process-6693827/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
- TKW Research. “UK Election: Polls vs Reality | TKW Research.” TKW Research, 19 July 2024, tkwresearch.com.au/uk-election-polls-vs-reality/. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Summarise with AI:
Did you like this article? Leave a rating!
Loading...
