Elections and voting
This page contains a general guide to the elections which electoral services administer in the borough and the ways in which you can cast your vote at election time.
Visit our Elections 2010 page: » Elections 2010
Elections in the borough
Depending on which body is being elected the frequency of elections held in the borough will vary. The statutory elections are as follows:
- UK Parliament (House of Commons) election - the last “General” election took place on 5 May 2005, and the next is due in 2010. General elections can be called at any time, with as little as 17 working days notice.
- Borough – you will elect your local councillors again in 2010.
- Greater London Authority (GLA) - assembly members were last elected in 2008 so the next election is due to be held in 2012.
- London Mayor - the next mayoral election will also take place in 2012.
- European Parliament – we recently held these elections on 4 June 2009 and therefore won’t be due to elect MEPs for the London Region again until 2014.
An election takes place in most years so you should always make sure that you are on the Voters List.
For more detailed information on registering to vote visit our registration page or download a voter registration form (pdf, 200KB).
Which elections can I vote in?
If your name is included on the voters list then you are entitled to vote in all elections held in the borough unless you are a citizen of one of the European Union countries listed below. If you are, you cannot vote in elections for the UK Parliament (House of Commons).
Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy,
Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.
British citizens registered as overseas electors can only vote at Parliamentary and European elections.
The different ways to vote
Most people prefer to vote in person at their local polling station. If your name is on the Register of Electors, and you have chosen to vote in person, your poll card will be delivered to you about a week before polling day. Included on your poll card will be a map showing where your polling station is located. Even if you lose your poll card you can still vote on polling day.
If you would like to know where your polling station is located you can enter your postcode into our polling station finder (opens new window) or view a map of the borough (pdf, 1.5MB).
Voting by post
If your name is on the register you can chose to vote by post. You can have your postal vote for just one election, for all elections in a set period, or for all elections until further notice. At election times a postal voting pack is sent to every postal voter around 10 days before polling day. The pack will contain all the necessary information and forms to cast a postal vote, which must be received by electoral services before the close of poll (10pm on polling day).
To obtain a postal vote application form go to the forms and factsheets section below.
Voting by proxy
If your name is on the register and you are unable to vote in person at your polling station you can chose to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf, however you will be required to provide a valid reason. People most commonly appoint a proxy because of a physical impairment, employment commitments, absence due to a holiday or attendance on an educational course.
The person you appoint as your proxy must be eligible to vote at the election that they are appointed for and cannot be a proxy for more than two people, unless they are a close relative. Your proxy will be sent a poll card and on polling day they will need to attend the polling station on your behalf unless they have chosen to vote for you by post.
To obtain a proxy voting application form go to the forms and factsheets section below.
Further information
If you require more comprehensive information about elections and the ways you can vote please visit the Electoral Commission's About My Vote website (opens new window) where additional guidance is available.
Check if you're registered
Find your polling station
Find your ward
Forms and Factsheets
The following documents must be printed single-sided and with no scaling (i.e. original size not 'fit to paper' or 'shrink large pages')
Postal Vote Application Form (pdf, 79KB)
Postal Vote Amendment or Cancellation Form (pdf, 45KB)
Single Election Proxy Application (pdf, 76KB)
Physical Incapacity Proxy Application (pdf, 102KB)
Employment Proxy Application (pdf, 102KB)
Education Proxy Application (pdf, 101KB)
Overseas Elector Proxy Application (pdf, 78KB)
Crown Servant Proxy Application (pdf, 78KB)
Armed Forces Proxy Application (pdf, 78KB)
Emergency Proxy Application (pdf, 102KB)