I'm a young person with cancer, how can I vote in the general election?
The Prime Minister has announced that the next general election will be on Thursday 4 July 2024.
If you’re currently going through cancer then we know this might not be top of your mind so we’ve brought all the information together to try and help you out.
On this page you can find out more about what you need to do to be able to vote, what happens if you’re having treatment and what you need to take with you on the day.
Important dates:
- Voting will open at 7am on Thursday 4 July and polling stations will be open until 10pm
- The deadline for registering to vote is Tuesday 18 June
- The deadline for applying for a postal vote is Wednesday 19 June in England, Scotland and Wales, and 14 June in Northern Ireland
- The deadline for applying for a proxy vote is Wednesday 26 June in England, Scotland and Wales, and 14 June in Northern Ireland
- If you have a medical emergency you can also apply for an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm on the day of the election
Who is allowed to vote in a general election?
According to Gov.uk, to vote in a general election you must:
- be registered to vote
- be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
- be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
- be resident at an address in the UK or living abroad and registered as an overseas voter
- not be legally excluded from voting
How do I register to vote?
You can register to vote on this gov.uk page.
You will need your National Insurance number to be able to register to vote. You can find this on any payslips you have from work on any letters you have about benefits that you’ve applied for.
If you can’t find your National Insurance number you can find it online using this page.
If you can’t register online you can download a paper form to fill out here.
The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday 18 June.
I voted in the last general election, do I need to register again?
No, but you’ll need to register again if you have moved house and need to update your address or, if you’ve changed your name since the last time you voted.
What are the different ways to vote in the general election?
You can vote in-person at a polling station, you can send in a postal vote or you can apply for a proxy vote (where someone votes on your behalf).
If you’re voting in person you must go to the polling station that is stated on your polling card – which you’ll get in the post before the election.
You cannot vote online!
Find out more about the different types of voting below.
What is a postal vote?
You can apply to get a postal vote – this means you can send in your vote through the post, before the election. You need to have registered to vote before you request a postal vote.
You might want to do this if you’re having treatment on the day of the election, if you’re worried you won’t feel well enough to get to the polling station or if you’re going to be away from home for other reasons on that day.
You won’t need to give a reason for your postal vote request, unless you live in Northern Ireland.
- Apply for a postal vote online using this page.
- Get more information on applying for a postal vote on paper here.
- Find out more about applying for a postal vote in Northern Ireland on this page.
Deadline for applying for a postal vote is no later than 5pm on Wednesday 19 June in England, Scotland and Wales. The deadline is 5pm on 14 June in Northern Ireland.
What is a proxy vote?
If you don’t think you’re going to be able to get to the polling station in-person on the day of the election then you can get someone else to vote for you – this is called a ‘proxy’ vote.
You and whoever you chose to be your proxy voter must both be registered to vote.
You can apply for a proxy vote here.
More information on proxy votes in Northern Ireland here.
The deadline for applying for a proxy vote is Wednesday 26 June in England, Scotland and Wales. The deadline is 5pm on 14 June in Northern Ireland.
If you need to apply for an emergency proxy vote because of a medical emergency or disability you can find more information here. This form can only be used after 5pm, on the sixth working day before the poll and you can apply until 5pm on the day of the election.
Where do I go to vote?
You’ll be sent a poll card in the post before the election which will tell you where and when to vote. You have to follow the information on this card – you can’t vote at another polling station.
You don’t need to take your polling card with you to vote.
What do I need to take with me to vote?
In this general election you will need to take photo ID with you to be able to vote. If you’ve voted before you might not have had to do this as it’s a new rule.
If you don’t take your photo ID with you on the day, you won’t be allowed to vote.
What ID can I use to vote?
You can use common forms of ID like a driving license or passport as well as lots of other types of ID. You can see all the types of ID that are valid on this page.
If you don’t have the right type of photo ID to vote, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. You have to have registered to vote to apply for one of these. The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June.
If someone is voting as your proxy they will need to take their own ID with them – they don’t need to take yours.