The general election is just around the corner, with Bracknell, Wokingham and Ascot voters heading to the polls tomorrow (July 4).
We’ve got a roundup of all the key information you need here.
When and where to vote
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. You should have been sent a polling card via post which tells you where you’re nearest polling station is. This is where you’ve been registered to vote. But don’t worry if you’ve lost the card, you can still vote.
All voters will need to give their name and address to the staff at their polling station to vote.
Voters with disabilities will have extra assistance in polling stations and can bring anyone over the age of 18 to help them vote. They can also ask polling station staff to help cast their vote.
Photo ID
Residents now need to take photo ID with them when they vote. This is part of new government rules around voting that have been in place since May 2023. Forms of ID that can be used include a passport, a driving licence and blue badge, but there’s a full list which can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website.
Don’t worry if you’re ID has recently expired – it will be accepted, as long as you still look like the photograph on the document.
Failing to turn up with suitable ID will result in not being issued with a ballot paper.
Constituency changes
While Bracknell and Ascot’s parliamentary seats remain the same, electoral boundary changes mean that the Wokingham borough now has two seats, not one. These are Wokingham, and Earley and Woodley. Ascot is part of the Maidenhead constituency.
Proxy and postal voting
A proxy voter is somebody that votes on behalf of somebody else if that person cannot go to a polling station. You can only act as a proxy for a maximum of four people, and only two of these can be for domestic voters.
If someone has an emergency, they can apply for an emergency proxy. Circumstances that permit this include if you have a medical emergency, you are away for work, or if your photo ID is lost, stolen, destroyed or damaged.
Residents can apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day.
Those voting by post should have received their postal ballot pack. Anyone who is too late to return it by post can hand it in at their council offices or can take it to their polling station up to 10pm.
If you are going to hand it in rather than post, you will have to fill out an additional form with a staff member, otherwise the postal vote will be rejected.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here