Ways to Vote

Apart from voting in person at your polling station on the day of an election, anyone on the electoral register can request to vote by post, or in particular circumstances it may be possible to nominate a proxy, who would be able to vote on your behalf. Please use this page to find out about postal and proxy voting.

Polling Stations

Details of your local polling station for each election are always provided on your poll card which you will receive before the election. 

We make every effort to ensure that all our polling stations are accessible to wheel-chair users and the mobility impaired.  If you have any concerns regarding access to a polling station, please contact us on 01462 611231.  If you prefer, you can make arrangements to vote by post or may be able to nominate someone to vote on your behalf. Please see below for more details.

Voting by Post

The Council has recognised that because of the way we live our lives today it is not always convenient to make a visit to a polling station to vote.  You can now choose whether you prefer to vote at a polling station or by post. 

  • In England, Scotland and Wales, you can chose to vote by post if you cannot or do not wish to attend your polling station.  You do not have to give any reason for asking for a postal vote.
  • Applications can be made for a single election, for a specified period or indefinitely.
  • A postal vote can be sent to your home address or any other address specified by you. 
  • Postal votes can be sent overseas, but you need to consider whether there would be time for you to receive and return your ballot paper by polling day. 
  • Postal votes are usually despatched about a week before polling day. 
  • If you have been sent a postal vote, you cannot vote in person at a polling station. 
  • Postal votes can be posted back to the council offices or returned by hand to the council offices or polling station. 
  • Postal votes have to be received at the council or polling station by the close of poll on polling day.        

Please complete the Postal Vote Application Form (application/pdf; 135kb) and return it to Electoral Services.

Alternatively, to arrange a postal vote application form to be sent to you, please call our help line on 01462 611231 or email us at electoral.services@midbeds.gov.uk. 

Voting by Proxy

In certain circumstances it may be possible to nominate a proxy to vote on your behalf:-

  • This means appointing someone to vote for you in your polling station. 
  • You will need to tell your proxy which candidate(s) you wish to vote for. 
  • You have to provide a reason to vote by proxy for a single election.  You can only vote by proxy on an indefinite basis for the following reasons: physical incapacity, overseas voter, and certain occupations for example the Armed Forces. 
  • If you change your mind and wish to vote in person, you can still do so, providing that your proxy has not already voted on your behalf. 
  • If your proxy cannot get to your polling station, they can apply to vote by post.  However, you will not then be able to vote in person. 
  • Any nominated proxy must be able to vote in the type of election concerned although he/she need not currently be registered as an elector. 
  • A person cannot vote as proxy for more than 2 voters, including yourself, unless he/she is the husband/wife, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild of the voter.  He/she need not be currently registered as an elector.               

If you are already a proxy voter your ballot paper(s) will be sent to your proxy unless you tell us otherwise.

Please complete the Proxy Vote Application Form (application/pdf; 287kb) and return it to Electoral Services.

Alternatively, to arrange a proxy vote application form to be sent to you, please call our help line on 01462 611231 or email us at electoral.services@midbeds.gov.uk.