Votes are power

Why should I vote?

Your vote helps to choose the people who make decisions on issues that affect you. These people decide things such as how schools, hospitals and buses are run. So it is important that everyone has a say in who is elected.

How can I find out what each party or candidate stands for?

Parties and candidates often address the same issues, but their policies will nearly always differ. Before elections, parties and individual candidates will produce a manifesto which will tell you what they believe in, what their priorities are and what they will do if they get elected.

ow do I vote?

If you have registered to vote, you will be sent a ‘poll card’ just before an election, which tells you where and when to vote.

On election day, go to the polling station and tell the staff inside your name and address so they can check that you’re on the register. You can show them your poll card, but you don’t need it to vote. In Northern Ireland, you will need to take photographic ID with you to vote.

The staff at the polling station will then give you a ballot paper stamped with an official mark. You may be given more than one ballot paper if there is more than one election on the same day.

Go into a polling booth so that no-one can see how you vote. You will be asked to put a cross (X) in the box next to the person or party you want to vote for. In Northern Ireland, you will be asked to put a ‘1′ in the box next to your favourite candidate, a ‘2′ next to your second choice, a ‘3′ next to your third choice and so on. Do not write anything else on the paper or your vote may not be counted.

When you’ve marked your vote, fold the ballot paper in half and put it into the ballot box. If you are not clear what to do, ask the staff at the polling station to help you. Do not let anyone see your vote. 

How can I get involved?

Councillors, Assembly Members, Members of the Scottish Parliament, MPs, and Members of the European Parliament represent the people living in their areas at different levels. When decisions are being made they are there to put your views across. If you have something to say, let your representatives know about it. You can write to them, go along to a ’surgery’ or organise a petition. These are just some of the ways to get your view across.

If you want to be involved yourself, you’ll find that many political parties will welcome your support and will have opportunities for you to help out. If you’re over 21 you can stand as a candidate yourself.

Can I vote by post?

Yes. If you want to vote by post, you need to fill in a postal vote form. Contact your local electoral registration officer or download a form here.

In Northern Irland, you can only vote by post in some cases. Contact your local area electoral office to see whether you are eligible.