Accessibility to Voting
Voter ID requirements for Elections
The following information is provided to assist you, or someone you support, through the voting process.
Registering to Vote
You must make an application to register before you can vote in an election.
Read more about registering to vote or view an easy read guide to registering to vote
Voting at an election
There are three different ways you can vote. You can vote in person at a polling station, by post or by appointing someone you trust, known as a proxy, to vote on your behalf.
The method you use to vote is up to you. It might depend on what you find easiest or most convenient.
We will send you a poll card about five weeks before the election. It will confirm your chosen method of voting.
Voting in a polling station
If you have chosen to vote in person, your poll card will tell you which polling station you can vote at.
You will also need to take a suitable form of Photo ID to the polling station. Voter ID in polling stations
Read more about:
Electoral Commission's easy-read guide to filling out your ballot paper
Watch the Electoral Commission's British sign Language videos about voter ID.
We have created a polling station passport document to help people with a disability to vote. This passport enables you to provide the staff in the polling station with details on the support you require.
Download and print your polling station Passport. Polling Station Passport (PDF, 238 KB)
Bringing a friend/carer with you
Anyone who has a disability can bring someone with them into the polling station to help them to vote. The person helping you must be aged 18 or over and will need to fill out a form.
Help from staff
You can ask the Presiding Officer to help you vote, they are legally bound by the Requirement for Secrecy and your vote will remain secret. If you know which candidate you want to vote for, the Presiding Officer can mark the ballot paper for you. You do this in the privacy of the polling booth.
Available equipment in polling stations
We'll have the following equipment at our polling stations to help you cast your vote:
· Voting Booths at wheelchair level
· Additional lights in the booth
· Enlarged handheld copies of the ballot paper
· An audio version of the ballot paper- A QR code which can be scanned to play the audio.
· Tactile voting device for people with visual impairment
· Magnifiers
· Pencil Grips
· Chairs for people who cannot stand for long periods of time
· All staff will be wearing a multi coloured lanyard and a name badge.
Voting by Post
Voting by post is an easy and convenient way of voting if you are not able to get to the polling station.
We will send you your ballot paper about two weeks before an election. You must return it to us by 10pm on the election day, for it to be included in the count.
Read more about voting by post
Help with voting
If you need help to complete your postal vote, you can ask someone you know or you can get independent help by contacting the elections team.
· Lewes Elections Team Email: electoral@lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk
· Eastbourne Elections Team: elections@lewes-eastbourne.gov.uk
Voting by Proxy
A proxy is someone you trust to attend your polling station and vote on your behalf.
You can apply for a permanent Proxy if you have a physical incapacity or are registered blind. Or you can apply for a temporary proxy vote, but it will only last for the one election.
Read more about voting by proxy
Polling Station Passport
A voting passport is an A5 booklet to hand to polling staff so that they can easily understand the reasonable adjustments needed to enable someone to vote.
The voting passport also allows voters to write who they would like to receive support from.
On the back it contains information about what other people can and cannot do to help.
If a voting passport could help you to have your vote, then please download a copy of the polling station passport below.
Polling Station Passport (PDF, 238 KB)
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