Weather disruption
Winter weather is causing disruption to services in some parts of the county. Find out what services may be affected in your area.
We offer a range of support for disabled people, including people with a learning disability.
Voting in person at a polling station
Accessing the polling station
- most of our polling stations are accessible but where necessary we will provide temporary ramps, and/or doorbells so you can alert polling station staff that you are waiting to enter the polling station if required
- where parking is available at a polling station venue but there is no reserved accessible parking, we will designate an accessible parking space/area (marked by a bollard) as close as possible to the polling station entrance
- if you can't enter the polling station because of a disability, then polling station staff can bring your ballot paper to you
Help available from polling station staff or a companion
- our polling station staff will be wearing badges to help voters more easily identify them and they are trained to help disabled people. If you need any advice or assistance, please ask them - they will be happy to help you
- if you need support to complete your ballot paper, you can ask the polling station staff or you can bring someone with you, for example a carer, friend or relative. They must be over the age of 18 but they don't have to be eligible to vote in that election and they don't need to bring their own photo ID
Information for voters
- a notice will be displayed inside and outside the polling station providing instructions on how to vote at the election
- a notice will be displayed in the polling booth providing information on how to mark the ballot paper at the election
- a large print version of the ballot paper will be clearly displayed in the polling station and a copy will also be available for you to take into the polling booth to help you mark your paper
Equipment provided in the polling station to help you vote
The following assistive equipment will be available in the polling station:
- seating, to support people who are unable to stand for long periods or who wish to take time to think about how they want to vote
- a low-level polling booth which is wheelchair accessible
- a portable light, which can be taken into the polling booth to help people with visual impairments to vote. In addition, extra lighting will be provided in some polling stations to improve the existing lighting
- a magnifier, to help people with visual impairments to vote independently by increasing the size of the text on a document
- a tactile voting device, which is a template designed for blind and partially sighted people so that they can mark their ballot papers themselves. The device has a sticky backing, which attaches on top of your ballot paper. It has numbered lift-up flaps (the numbers are raised and in braille) directly over the boxes where you mark your vote. You will need to use the large print version of the ballot paper or the magnifier, or ask someone (the polling station staff or a person, over the age of 18, who is accompanying you) to read out the list of candidates, which will be in alphabetical order, to you. You will need to remember the number of the candidate you wish to vote for, then lift the flap with the same number and mark your cross (X) in the box. You can then detach the tactile device and fold your ballot paper in half before posting it in the ballot box
- a pencil with grip attached, to help people with dexterity impairments to more easily hold and use a pencil independently, or you can use your own pen if you prefer
In addition:
- the slot on the ballot box will be highlighted to help people with visual impairments to see where to place their marked ballot paper
- blind and partially sighted people can take their phones into the polling booth to help them to vote, for example to use magnifier or text-to-speech apps, or the phone torch to improve lighting (photos, however, must not be taken in the polling station)
If you prefer to vote at a time when the polling station is not so busy, then you may wish to vote during the evening as polling stations are generally quieter then.
Voting by post or proxy
If you don't want to go to a polling station to vote, or are unable to, you can vote by post or vote by proxy (asking someone to vote on your behalf).
Information and guides for voters
Voting guides for people with a learning disability
You can view the following easy read guides about:
- what your vote does
- registering to vote
- how to register to vote
- voter ID and how to apply for the voter ID certificate
- easy read guide - how to apply online for a Voter Authority Certificate
- easy read information and application for a Voter Authority Certificate (print version)
- how to vote in person
- how to register for postal voting
- how to register for proxy voting
Voting guides for people with a hearing impairment, deaf people and users of British Sign Language (BSL)
You can view the following British Sign Language (BSL) videos, which also have subtitles.
- registering to vote
- which elections require photo ID, and which forms of ID can I use to vote?
- how to apply for free voter ID, if you need it
- what to expect at the polling station, and other ways to vote
Voting guides for blind and partially sighted people
If you are at all concerned about accessing a polling station or voting, please contact Electoral Services.