How to vote at a Polling Station
There are other ways to vote on election day, but applications for postal votes and voting by proxy (where you nominate someone else to vote on your behalf) have now closed.
Voting in person at a Polling Station
You vote in person at a Polling Station (usually in a public building, such as a school or local hall). The location of the Polling Station will be clearly shown by signs.
Your poll card
Your poll card tells you when to vote (4th July, between 7am and 10pm) and at which polling station. This is sent to the address where you are registered to vote – this could be your address at university, or to your home address in the UK, if you have one.
You can only vote at the polling station location on your card. You do not have to take your poll card with you.
If you have not received a poll card but think you should, contact your local Electoral Registration Office.
You can still vote if you’ve lost your card.
When you can vote
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on the day of the election (polling day). If you arrive at the polling station just before 10pm and there’s a queue, you will still be able to vote as long as you join the queue before 10pm. But plan ahead - vote as early in the day as you can!
When you get to the polling station
Give your name and address to the staff inside the polling station when you arrive.
You’ll need to show your photo ID to confirm your identity. There’s more information about this below.
You’ll be given a ballot paper containing a list of the candidates you can vote for. You take this paper to one of the polling booths where you fill it in.
Filling in your ballot paper
Follow the instructions on the notices in the polling booth and on the top of the ballot paper to vote.
The ballot paper will look like this 
(this a fictitious example from legislation.gov.uk). In this General Election you vote for ONLY ONE candidate by putting a CROSS in the box next to their name.
When you leave the polling station there may be people from political parties or from the media asking voters how they voted. They are doing this in order to build up information about voting patterns so that they can make predictions about how the election is going throughout the day. Remember that the ballot is secret. What you choose to tell people who ask you how you voted is entirely up to you.
Voting if you have a disability
If you have a disability, your local Electoral Registration Office can tell you about:
- physical access, for example wheelchair ramps and disabled parking spaces
- low-level polling booths
- any specific equipment you need
Every polling station must provide at least one large print display version of the ballot paper.
Spoilt ballots
There are strict rules about what counts as vote for someone on a ballot paper. The Electoral Commission have guidance on dealing with doubtful ballot papers on their website. From this, basically any mark that is seen to support a candidate is counted as a vote, and this could be anything from a smiley face to messages to drawings. However, to be absolutely sure that your vote counts, you should put only one cross on your ballot paper, next to the person you want to vote for.
Some people argue that spoiling a ballot paper is an important way of showing disaffection with politicians and the political process. The number of Blank Votes (where a ballot paper has no marks at all on it) and Spoiled Ballots are read out at the count, along with the results, and are also included in subsequent reports. They therefore argue that apathy towards political parties will be heard not just forgotten, and that if there are huge numbers of blank/spoiled ballots at election time, the major political parties will start to think more about what they need to do to reconnect with these voters.
For more about Spoilt Ballots see the Voting Counts website.
Voter ID
Voters in England need to show photo ID to vote at polling stations in the UK Parliamentary general election on 4th July.
You can use any of the following accepted forms of photo ID when voting at a polling station. You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version, and not a photocopy or a digital version.
- Passport
- Driving licence
- Blue badge (issued to drivers with a disability)
- Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
- Biometric immigration document
- Voter Authority Certificate
You CANNOT use your university ID card or a Student Union card - these are not accepted for the purposes of photo ID in elections.
Full information about voter ID is available from the Electoral Commission website.
Deciding Whom to Vote For
Choosing the right candidate in an election can be challenging, but there are tools and resources available to help you make an informed decision. Here’s a guide to some of the best resources for evaluating candidates and their policies.
Use an Impartial Voting Advice Tool
- To get a complete picture of how your views align with what the political parties are proposing, you can use a free, impartial voting advice tool. One such tool is Vote for Policies, which helps you compare what the main parties are promising on issues that matter to you.
Step-by-Step Guide:
- Step 1: View and shortlist policy ideas in a topic. The tool hides the names of the parties so you’re judging the policies based on their content.
- Step 2: Pick the one you like the most from your shortlist. This step allows you to focus on the policies that resonate with you.
- Step 3: See which parties you match with overall and per topic. You can see which policies belong to each party, browse all policies, view all candidates in your area, and more.
Find Out Who Your MP Is
- The website TheyWorkForYou.com keeps a record of every single parliamentary vote your MP makes. To find out who your MP is and how they’ve voted on key issues, follow these steps:
- Go to the TheyWorkForYou main page.
- Enter your postcode in the box at the top left.
- The site will identify your constituency and tell you who your MP is.
- You can see a selection of issues they’ve voted on and their stance on these issues, as well as whether they’ve attended the sessions.
Find Out Who to Vote For Instead
- If you’ve decided you don’t like your MP or you’re just curious about other candidates, YourNextMP.com can help. Here’s how to use it:
- Go to the YourNextMP home page.
- Enter your postcode.
- The website will list the candidates standing in the election.
- Click on their names to find more details about who they are and what information is available about them. Most candidates will have links to their Twitter pages, Wikipedia pages, and personal websites.
Additional Resource: Democracy Club
- Democracy Club provides a centralised platform that compiles information about all the candidates standing in your seat. Their website, WhoCanIVoteFor, offers statements from each candidate, links to their social media accounts, campaign leaflets, and brief biographies.
- For more detailed information about past MPs, including their voting records in the House of Commons, you can use TheyWorkForYou. This tool allows you to enter your postcode or MP’s name to see their voting history on various issues, from the welfare system to the European Union.
- By using these tools and resources, you can make a well-informed decision about who to vote for in the upcoming election.
Tactical voting
Understanding Tactical Voting
Tactical voting is a strategy where voters support a candidate who isn’t their first choice but has a better chance of winning against an opponent they strongly oppose. This approach is often used in closely contested seats to influence election outcomes, such as during the Brexit debates.
Why Use Tactical Voting?
The main goal of tactical voting is to prevent an undesirable candidate from winning. Voters might choose a candidate based on specific issues, like Brexit, rather than party loyalty.
How It Works
- Identify Key Contested Seats: Find out which seats are closely contested.
- Research Candidate Stances: Understand the candidates’ positions on crucial issues.
- Choose the Most Viable Candidate: Vote for the candidate most likely to win against the least desirable option.
Risks and Challenges
- Data Transparency: Many tactical voting sites lack clear methodologies.
- Unintended Outcomes: The elected candidate may not fully represent your preferences.
- Changing Dynamics: Election dynamics can shift, affecting the effectiveness of tactical voting.
Evaluating Tactical Voting Tools
- Check Methodologies: Ensure transparency in recommendations.
- Verify Data Sources: Use up-to-date and reliable data.
- Review Past Results: Understand the historical context of your constituency.
Tactical voting can influence election outcomes but requires careful research. Use reliable resources to make an informed decision on whether this strategy aligns with your political goals.
However you choose to vote, or whether you choose not to vote or to spoil your ballot, this is YOUR chance to let our politicians know your feelings and to play your part in determining the future of the UK. Let’s do this!
HT @Cbealby17 for input to this post 
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