Leducate Explains: Understanding your voting rights in the UK

Hint - key terms are defined. Just click on the blue words to see their definitions!

This LedEx article aims to provide a comprehensive overview of voting rights in the UK and empower individuals to participate in the democratic process. This is a longer article but is an important read!

Introduction

It is essential to understand your rights and responsibilities when it comes to voting. By exercising your right to vote you have the power to influence decisions that affect your community and country. LedEx will break down your rights, responsibilities, and how to vote in 4 sections: eligibility, types of elections, the voting process, and voter rights.

Eligibility for voting

An individual’s eligibility to vote in an election depends on several factors:

Their age,
The type of vote that is taking place,
Their citizenship status.

In England and Northern Ireland, you must be 18 or older on the polling day to vote in an election. In Scotland and Wales, you must be 18 to vote in a general election and 16 to vote in local elections and Scottish and Welsh parliament elections. British and Irish citizens are eligible in all elections and citizens of other countries such as EU nationals may be eligible in some circumstances. You should check on the government website for full details of the criteria.

Types of elections

There are several different types of elections that bring voters to the polls.

General Elections:
These are held every 5 years and their purpose is to select the members of parliament. The political party that wins the greatest number of seats then usually forms the government and the leader of the party becomes the Prime Minister.
Local elections:
These elections allow voters to choose who they wish to run their local areas. They normally take place on the first Thursday in May and are normally every 4 years. Up to three councillors are chosen in every region who will be in charge of matters such as transport, waste and green spaces. Local elections usually coincide with mayoral elections (selection of mayors who lead the council in some larger cities) and police and crime commissioner elections (a person who represents the citizens in holding the police to account).
Referendum:
A referendum occurs when a political question is decided by asking the citizens. Normally such decisions are made by Parliament but in certain circumstances, a direct form of democracy is used and the public is asked to decide. The most recent example of this in the UK is the Brexit referendum in 2016 where the citizens voted on whether or not the UK should remain in the European Union.

Image: via **Element5 Digital** on Unplash

The Voting Process

Navigating the voting process in the UK can often seem overwhelming, especially to a first-time voter. This short guide aims to simplify the process and provide some clarity about the options available to you:

1. Registration and the Register:

The first step in the voting process is registration. This process can be done by post or on the government website, and usually only takes around 5 minutes. Once you have registered, you do not need to do it again unless you have changed your name, address or nationality.

The electoral register (or electoral roll) is an official list of all of those who are registered to vote. It is possible to register to vote in more than one place (for example if you are a student and have a term-time and home address), however you must not vote more than once as this is called ‘electoral fraud’ and is a serious offence under s61(2)(a) of the Representation of the People Act 1983.

By law you must be on the electoral register if you are eligible to be on it, and if you fail to do so without an adequate reason you may be fined. However, you may choose to be anonymous, and opt out of being on the ‘open register’, which is open to the public.

2. Polling Cards and Voting at Polling Stations

Once you are registered, you will receive a polling card in the post to the address you register with. The most common way to vote is to visit the polling station listed on your polling card on the day of the election.

What to do at the Polling Station:

The polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm.
You do not need to take your polling card with you to the station, you just have to provide them with your name and address.
Since a recent rule change in May 2023, you must also take a valid form of ID to the polling station in order to vote. There are 22 acceptable forms of ID in Great Britain and 9 in Northern Ireland, both including passports and driving licences. An expired ID is still valid as long as you still look like your photograph. If you do not have any of the forms of acceptable ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority certificate in Great Britain or an electoral identity card in Northern Ireland.

Image: via **Steve Houghton-Burnett** on Unsplash

Alternative Voting Methods:

If you are unable to attend the assigned polling station on the day of the election, there are 2 alternative options available to you:

Apply for a postal vote

You can apply online or by post for a postal vote and do not have to give a reason for doing so (unless you’re voting in Northern Ireland). This allows your ballot paper to be sent to an address of your choice, you can fill it out at home and return it via post in order for it to be counted.

Vote by proxy

Voting by proxy is another way in which you can vote without attending the polling station, by someone voting on your behalf. This is available to you if you are away on polling day, are registered as an overseas voter, have a medical issue or disability, or are not able to vote in person due to work or military service. You must apply for a proxy vote online or by post.

You should note that strict deadlines apply to all of the application processes for registering for different types of vote and applications after the deadline will not be accepted. If you have missed the deadline for the upcoming general election, be sure to join the electoral register now to ensure you do not miss future elections.

Image: via **Markus Winkler** on Unsplash

Rights of Voters

As a voter, you have several protected rights afforded to you by the law.

The Human Rights Act 1998

Under Schedule 1, The First Protocol, Article 3.

Protects your general right to vote and your right to stand in elections. This is an absolute right, meaning it cannot be restricted. However, the government does hold some discretion and currently, prisoners serving custodial sentences do not have a right to vote.

Representation of the Peoples Act 1983 (s66)

The right to secrecy.
This means that neither your details nor the details of who you voted for will be revealed at any point, and the workers at the polling station must ensure this secrecy.

The Elections Act 2022 that protect you.

There are several criminal offences outlined in the Elections Act that protect you, for example:
- Bribery (someone giving you money to vote a certain way or not vote at all),
- Treating (where someone has a ‘corrupt intent’ and provides food, drinks, or other such items in order to corruptly influence any voter to vote or refrain from voting),
- Undue influence (threats of violence or harm to influence voting).

Protections also exist for those with disabilities that may require further assistance to vote. Under the Elections Act 2022, reasonable equipment must be provided to help disabled voters cast their vote in secrecy.

Finally, you also have the right to leave your ballot blank or spoil your ballot if you do not wish to select any of the candidates without any consequence.

Conclusion

By understanding your voting rights in the uk you can actively engage in the democratic process and make your voice heard. Voting allows citizens to express their opinion and choose their leaders, influencing decisions and contributing to the shaping of the future of the country. Voting is not only a privilege but also a responsibility that shapes the future of the nation.

Written by Amelia Darby