General election deadlines including registering to vote, postal, proxy and ID guidelines

A polling station at Grimsargh Village Hall on Thursday 2 May Pic: Blog Preston

It might be almost a month until Lancashire heads to the polls in the general election, but there are some key dates before then which you should be aware of to ensure you can actually cast your vote on 4th July.

Many people prefer to vote by post, or require a proxy vote, and details of those are all included below.

Controversially, since 2023, it has been a requirement to present a form of ID if you wish to vote.

There have been a number of boundary changes since the last general election in 2019, meaning you may find yourself voting in a different constituency.

The list of candidates for each constituency is now available via the link above.

If you’re not already on the electoral roll, you need to register to vote by 11.59pm on Tuesday 18th June.
If you want to vote by post – and have not previously arranged to receive postal votes over a specific period of time that covers the general election date – then you need to apply for a postal voting pack by 5pm on Wednesday 19th June.
If you want someone else to cast your ballot on your behalf, you need to apply for a proxy vote by 5pm on Wednesday 26th June.
If you do not have a suitable form of voter ID (see list below), then you need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by 5pm on Wednesday 26th June.
If, for reasons of illness, you discover after the proxy vote deadline has passed that you will not be able to vote in person, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote unti 5pm on election day itself, 4th July.

What ID do I need?

Since last year, it is a requirement for anybody voting in person to present one of the following forms of ID:

a passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country;
a photo Driving Licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state;
a Blue Badge;
an older Person’s Bus Pass;
a disabled Person’s Bus Pass;
an Oyster 60+ Card;
a freedom Pass;
an dentity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card);
a biometric immigration document;
a Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card);
a national identity card issued by an EEA state.

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