Postal and proxy votes

If you are on the electoral register and you are unable to vote in person at the polling station on polling day, you are eligible to apply for either a postal vote or a proxy vote.

Postal votes

Postal votes are available to anyone on demand. 

When you apply for a postal vote, you will be asked to provide your date of birth and your signature.  These personal identifiers are then scanned into the Electoral Register and saved against your entry. 

When you receive your postal vote, you will need to sign and include your date of birth on the Postal Voting Statement, which you will send back with your ballot paper.  This will then be checked against records held on the Electoral Register to ensure that your postal vote has not been used by someone else.

New Postal Vote Applications

The postal vote application form is available for you to complete.

You can specify on the form for how long you would like a postal vote: 

  • Until Further Notice:  You will be issued for a postal vote for all elections until you advise us otherwise.
  • For Elections On (date):  If you know the date of the election, you can have a postal vote for that particular election.
  • For Elections Until (date):  If you know you will be away for a certain period, you can request a postal vote for any elections that may be held during that period.

If you want to have your postal re-directed to a different address, you are required to provide a reason for this re-direction.

Please make sure you complete the form including your date of birth and your signature.   

If you are unable to complete the form, for example if you have a disability, and are unable to sign the form, you will be required to give the name and address of anyone who helps you to complete the form.  Their details should be recorded on the postal vote application form.  

Anyone who helps you complete your form will be required to sign a declaration, confirming that you are unable to provide a signature.

Issuing of Postal Votes

Postal votes will be issued in the fortnight before an election.

Returning your postal vote

There are four ways of returning your postal vote.

  1. You can send the postal vote back to the Council prior to the election;
  2. You can hand it in to the Civic Offices, no later than 4.45pm on the day of the election;
  3. It can be placed in the letter box at the Civic Offices up to close of polls on the day of the election; or
  4. You can hand it to the Presiding Officer in a polling station in your ward.

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Proxy votes

Electors can nominate another person (a proxy) to vote on their behalf, if they are unable to vote on election day. 

If you arrange for a proxy to cast your vote, you will be able to vote in person on election day, but only if your proxy has not voted on your behalf, or has not applied for a postal vote to vote on your behalf.

New Proxy Vote Applications

Electors can nominate a proxy to cast their vote on their behalf.  There are two different types of proxy applications - permanent proxies and proxies for a particular election only.

Permanent Proxy Applications

In order to obtain a permanent proxy vote, the Electoral Registration Officer should be satisfied that the person requesting it cannot be reasonably expected to vote in person at any elections.   These reasons will need to be stated on the application form. 

Requests for a permanent proxy vote can be made under the following categories of circumstances:

  1. If you are registered blind;

  2. If you receive a mobility allowance;

  3. If you suffer from a physical incapacity;

  4. If you are in a residential care home or sheltered accommodation;

  5. If you are attending an educational course in connection with your employment;

  6. If you are self-employed; or

  7. If a journey by sea or air will be necessary to get to a polling station (for example, you are on holiday or away on business).

Attestations

If your proxy application is made for one of the reasons listed above, except No. 7 (that you will be required to make a journey by sea or air to get to a polling station),  the application must be attested by one of the people specified below. 

The person attesting the form must also state their name and address, the qualification held, that the applicant cannot be reasonably expected to go to the polling station and that the incapacity is likely to continue either indefinitely or for a period specified by the attestor.

Physical Incapacity or Blindness

Forms should be attested by:

  • a registered medical practitioner, registered nurse, a registered dentist, a registered dispensing optician or optometrist, a registered chiropractor, a person registered under the Health Professions Order or a Christian Science practitioner.
  • if you live in a residential home or sheltered housing, the matron, home care director or warden can support your application

A person who is registered blind does not have to have their application attested if they specify that they are registered blind.

An applicant who states they are in receipt of the higher rate of mobility allowance because of their incapacity does not require attestation for their application either.

Occupation/Employment/Service Voter/ Attendance on a Course

Forms should be attested by:

  • by the person's employer.
  • if the person is self-employed, by a person aged 18 years or more, who is not related to the person but who knows them.
  • if the person is attending a course, by the tutor of that course or the principal of the educational institution where the course is taking place.

Proxies for One Election Only

Applications for proxy votes for one election only, arranged on a one-off basis, do not require to be supported by an independent third party - though a reason for the application must be given.  The application form is available for you to complete.

Emergency Proxy Votes

In the case of medical emergencies, electors can now apply for an emergency proxy vote.  These are available until 5.00pm on the day of an election.  Please contact Woking Borough Council on 01483 755855 if you require an emergency proxy vote.

Choosing your proxy

Not everyone is allowed to act as a proxy voter.  Your proxy must:

  • qualify to vote in UK elections (although (s)he need not be currently registered as an elector)
  • have not agreed to act as a proxy for more than two electors, including yourself.  They are allowed, however, to act as a proxy for any number of their relatives (husband/wife, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild).

Your proxy is also eligible to apply for a postal vote, if they are unable to attend the polling station.  Please contact Electoral Services for more information.

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Frequently asked questions

A list of frequently asked questions regarding postal and proxy votes is available.

For further information about postal and proxy votes, please contact Woking Borough Council on 01483 743860 or email elections@woking.gov.uk.