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Voting at the Polling Station

If you are registered to vote, shortly before an election you will receive a poll card.  This will tell you where your polling station is, what day the election is being held and other information to do with the election. Your polling station is most likely be a school, community centre or church hall near where you live. The poll card is for your information and you do not need to take it to the polling station in order to vote, though it will save time if you do so.

The following steps explain how to vote at your polling station on election day:

1. On election day, go to your polling station (as shown on your pollcard). It will be open from 7.00am to 10.00pm.

2. Tell the clerk inside the polling station your name and address. They will then check that you are on the electoral register. If you have your pollcard with you this will help the polling staff find your name on the register.

3. The clerk will give you a ballot paper listing the candidates you can vote for. You may be given more than one ballot paper if there is more than one election on the same day.

4. Take your ballot paper into a polling booth. Read the ballot paper carefully, it will tell you how many candidates you may vote for. Make sure that no one can see how you vote.

5. Mark a cross (X) on the right hand side of the ballot paper next to the candidate(s) you wish to vote for. Do not write anything else on the ballot paper or your vote may not be counted.

6. When you have marked your vote, fold the ballot paper in half and put it into the ballot box. Do not let anyone see your vote.

Remember that you can ask a member of staff to help if you're not sure what to do. 

Please also see the documents at the bottom of this page produced by the Electoral Commission.

If you have any questions concerning the above issues please contact the Election Services Office.

Telephone:  023 9283 4074
email: elections@portsmouthcc.gov.uk

Associated documents:

  Step by step guide to voting  (0.30 MB)
Pictorial guide to voting  (0.93 MB)
'Easy to vote' guide  (0.14 MB)