The UK parliamentary General Election will be held on Thursday 6 May 2010.
How does the voting system work?
The voting system in the UK General Election is called First Past the Post. You will have one vote on one ballot paper. All you have to do is put an X in the box beside the party or candidate that you want to vote for. It’s simple.
It works like this:
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You will receive a ballot paper listing the name of each candidate standing in your constituency, along with their party name or description and party logo.
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To cast your vote you simply need to put a single X next to the one candidate you wish to vote for.
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The candidate with the most votes in the constituency wins and becomes the MP for that constituency.
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The party with the most seats forms the government and its leader becomes the Prime Minister.
Will anyone find out how I voted?
No. The ballot is secret. This means nobody will be able to find out how you voted.
Make sure you are registered to vote
Before you can vote, you must be on the electoral register.
It is now too late to register to vote at this election.
Choose the method you want to use for voting
You can vote in person at a polling station, by post or proxy.
It is now too late to apply for a postal vote or an ordinary proxy vote at this election. However, in cases of unforeseen illness, it may be possible to obtain an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm on polling day, 6 May. Contact the Electoral Registration Office on freephone 0800 980 0471 for more information.
All registered electors will be sent a poll card confirming how they have chosen to vote – in person, by post or by proxy. If you realise that you need to change your method of voting, contact the Electoral Registration Office without delay.
Voting at a Polling Station couldn’t be easier. Unless you have chosen to vote by post or proxy, you will be assigned to a particular polling place close to where you live. You will be sent a poll card telling you where this is. All you have to do is turn up at any time between the hours of 7am and 10pm on polling day and cast your vote.
For information on where your polling place will be, contact the Election Office on Freephone 0800 980 0471
