On 22 May 2024, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced that a UK general election will take place on Thursday 4 July 2024. This blog, the first in the ‘General Election 2024’ series sets out key information on how people in Scotland can vote.
Information on dates and deadlines has been taken from the UK general election timetable published by the Electoral Commission.
Key dates
The table below sets out some key dates. The deadline is midnight unless otherwise stated.
Date | Event/deadline |
18 June | Deadline for registering to vote if a person is not already registered |
19 June (5pm) | Deadline for receiving new postal vote and postal proxy applications, and for changes to existing postal or proxy votes |
26 June (5pm) | Deadline for in person proxy votes |
26 June (5pm) | Deadline for application for Voter Authority Certificates (a free ID document) |
28 June | First date that voters can apply for a replacement postal vote if theirs is lost |
4 July (polling 7am -10pm) | UK Parliament general election polling day |
4 July (5pm) | Deadline for emergency proxy vote applications and last time for re-issue of spoilt or lost postal votes |
Key information
A person must be registered to vote in order to vote in the election. If a person is unsure whether they are registered to vote they should contact their local Electoral Registration Officer.
There is now a requirement that, in order to vote, people show an accepted form of photo ID.
In many areas across Scotland, the election falls in the school summer holidays. This means that people may be more likely to be away and may need to consider applying for a postal vote.
Who can vote at a UK Parliament election?
To have a right to vote, a person must:
- be 18 years or older on polling day
- be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
- be resident at an address in the UK or be an overseas voter
- not be legally excluded from voting
The Electoral Commission provides information on who is eligible to vote in UK general elections.
It is important to note that the franchise (who can vote) is different for different elections. A person able to vote at Scottish Parliament elections or local government elections may not be entitled to vote at a UK Parliament election. Similarly, some people not entitled to vote at a Scottish Parliament or local government election in Scotland may be entitled to vote in a UK Parliament election.
Registering to vote
To vote people must register in time ahead of the election. This means that a voter’s name will appear on the electoral register. The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming general election is midnight on 18 June 2024.
Registering to vote can be done online. To do this, a person needs their National Insurance number.
If a person cannot register to vote online, a paper form can be downloaded and completed. Forms are available on the UK Government website.
Voters don’t need to register to vote prior to each election, but if a person has moved then they should re-register. If a person’s details, for example their name, has changed then they should update their details by contacting their local Electoral Registration Officer and requesting a change of name form, or they can re-register to vote.
Different ways to vote
Voters can either vote in person, by post or, if necessary, by having another person vote on their behalf (this is called a proxy vote).
If a person applies for a postal vote, they will need to provide their National Insurance number. This is instead of having to show photo ID. A person’s National Insurance number, alongside their address and date of birth, is used to verify their identity.
Voting in person: people wishing to vote in person attend their designated polling place on polling day (4 July 2024) between the hours of 7am and 10pm. Polling cards are issued automatically to each person on the electoral register and give information about where to vote. A person does not need their polling card in order to vote but does require to show photo ID (see voter ID requirement).
Voting by post: people wishing to vote by post need to apply for a postal vote. This can be done online or by completing a paper form which is returned to the local electoral registration office. The deadline to register for a postal vote is 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.
Voting by proxy: if a person is unable to vote on polling day or by postal vote they can ask that someone else is allowed to vote on their behalf. If a person wishes to apply for a proxy vote then they need to apply online or complete a paper form and return it to the local electoral registration office. When applying for a proxy vote, a person will need to provide a reason as to why it is required – for example if they will be on holiday on polling day, cannot vote due to work commitments, or cannot get to their polling place because of a disability.
Proxy votes can be by post or in person.
The deadline to register for a proxy postal vote is 5pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.
The deadline for an application for an in person proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.
The application process for a proxy vote varies depending on the reason for why a proxy vote is required and whether it is permanent or for a particular election. More information is available on the Electoral Commission website.
If a person has appointed a proxy to vote on their behalf, but wishes to cancel this, they should contact their local Electoral Registration Officer.
Emergency proxy vote: if on polling day an elector (someone entitled to and registered to vote) cannot vote due to an emergency then it may be possible for them to apply for an emergency proxy vote. The deadline for an emergency proxy vote is 5pm on polling day (i.e., 5pm on Thursday 4 July 2024).
To qualify for an emergency proxy vote the reason for not being able to vote must be something that the individual was not aware of prior to the deadline for a proxy vote. This may be because of, for example, a medical emergency or unexpectedly being away for work.
Voter ID requirement
To vote in person in UK general elections, voters now need to show photo ID. A voter only needs to show one form of photo ID, but it does need to be the original version and not a photocopy. Voters can use an out of date photo ID as long as they still look like the photo. The name on the photo ID needs to be the same name used to register to vote.
Accepted forms of voter ID are, as listed by the Electoral Commission:
- Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country (including an Irish Passport Card)
- Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state
- A Blue Badge
- Scottish National Entitlement Card issued for the purpose of concessionary travel (including a 60+, disabled or under 22s bus pass)
- Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
- Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
- 60+ London Oyster Photocard funded by Transport for London
- Freedom Pass
- 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card), for example a Young Scot card
- Biometric immigration document
- Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
- National identity card issued by an EEA state
- Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
- Voter Authority Certificate
- Anonymous Elector’s Document
People who do not have an accepted form of voter ID (i.e., one of those listed above) can apply for a free voter ID document known as a Voter Authority Certificate. People can also apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate if they are concerned that their voter ID no longer looks like them, or if they do not wish to use the form of voter ID that they have.
The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.
SPICe Research