Help with voting, photo ID and accessibility
If you need any help with voting, please contact our Elections Team, or use the information available on this page.
- Contact the Elections Team – get in touch if you need help with accessible voting ID, access at polling stations or anything else to do with the next election.
- Get help with applying for a Voter Identification Certificate (Voter ID) – we can help you take your photograph, complete the online form and submit your application for voter ID.
- Access computers in your local library – if you need access to a computer or help with using the online content, you can get support at your local library.
- Borrow a laptop or tablet, or get free data – our libraries can help you get online.
- If you've health or mobility problems and cannot post your vote – please contact us. We'll arrange for someone to collect your vote.
- If you've medical emergency, are away from work, or your photo ID is lost, stolen, destroyed, or damaged – you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5pm on polling day.
Guidance and support for groups who are less likely to have an accepted form of ID
The Electoral Commission has included guidance in its voter ID guide for the following groups:
- Gypsy
- Roma and Traveller communities
- Older people
- People experiencing homelessness
- Trans and non-binary people
The Electoral Commission has also created a voter ID guide for anonymous voters.
- Voter ID guide that includes groups who are less likely to have an accepted form of ID
- Voter ID guide for anonymous voters
Learning disabilities and autism voter guides and support
The ‘My Vote My Voice’ campaign is on a mission to encourage people with learning disabilities and autism to vote in elections.
- Registering to vote – easy read guide
- Local election practice ballot paper – easy read guide
- Voting passport – an A4 sheet of paper to hand to staff at polling stations so they can easily understand the reasonable adjustments needed to help you vote.
- Voter ID information booklet – easy read guide
- More information for people with learning disabilities and autism – on the My Vote My Voice website.
Mencap and the Electoral Commission have also produced a series of easy read guides, which can be downloaded.
- What is voting? – easy read guide
- Deciding the best way to vote – easy read guide
- Voting by post – easy read guide
- Voting by proxy – easy read guide
- Voting at polling station – easy read guide
British Sign Language voter guides and support
The Electoral Commission has worked with the British Deaf Association to produce an expanded series of videos in British Sign Language to support deaf people to vote. You can watch these videos on the Electoral Commission's YouTube channel.
- Summary to voting in elections – YouTube video in British Sign Language (00:02:12)
- Which elections require voter ID and which forms of ID can use to vote? – YouTube video in British Sign Language (00:05:28)
- Applying for free voter ID – YouTube video in British Sign Language (00:04:38)
- Registering to vote – YouTube video in British Sign Language (00:03:38)
- Deciding the best way to vote – YouTube video in British Sign Language (00:05:05)
- Voting by post – YouTube video in British Sign Language (00:04:48)
- Voting by proxy – YouTube video in British Sign Language (00:04:58)
- What to expect at the polling station – YouTube video in British Sign Language (00:08:34)
Plain text voter information guides and support
The Electoral Commission has produced its voter information booklet in plain text format.
Braille voter information guides and support
The Electoral Commission has produced its voter information booklet in Braille format.
Translations
Voter ID booklets are available in English and are also translated into the following community guides: Bulgarian, Czech, Polish, Romanian and Slovak and available on the Electoral Commission website.
Please get in touch using the contact details on this page if you require any content in a different language or if you're unable to get to our offices and require a printed copy.
Alternatively, you can use the Recite Me accessibility toolbar to translate any accessible text on our website into more than 100 languages.
- Voter ID Booklet translations on the Electoral Commission website
- Voter ID Booklet in English on the Electoral Commission website
- About the Recite Me accessibility toolbar to help with translations
Audio format voter information guides and support
The Electoral Commission has produced its voter information booklet in audio format.
Alternatively, you can use the Recite Me accessibility toolbar to have any accessible text read out on our website in several languages including Bengali, English, Gujarati, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian and Urdu.
- Voter booklet in MP3 audio format from the Electoral Commission website
- About the Recite Me accessibility toolbar to help with audio content
Dogs in polling stations
Get information on which dogs are allowed in polling stations.
Accessibility at polling stations
All voters have the right to vote independently and in secret. Some assistive equipment will be available at the polling station to help people to do so.
The Presiding Officer can help you cast your vote if you would find this helpful. Polling staff are there to help, and you should ask a member of staff if you have any questions or need assistance.
If you are disabled or feel you cannot vote at a polling station without assistance, you can bring someone over the age of 18 with you to help. Your companion will not need to show photo ID. If a companion will be supporting you in the polling booth, you should inform the polling staff when you arrive. Your companion will be allowed to enter the polling booth to help you vote.