On Thursday 4 July, the country will vote on who should be in charge for the next five years. You are eligible to vote in the election provided you are 18 or over and hold British, Irish or a qualifying Commonwealth citizenship.

Your voice is important and has the power to drive meaningful change. Voting now gives you the opportunity to start shaping your future.

For many of you, this will be the first time you’re eligible to vote in a general election, so here’s everything you need to know.

Register to vote

To vote in the general election, you must have registered to vote by the deadline of 11:59pm on Tuesday 18 June. If you miss this deadline, you will not be able to vote. Registering takes just five minutes and can be completed via the link below. All you need is your name, address, and national insurance number.

If you voted in the mayoral elections at the beginning of May or have previously registered to vote, then you do not need to register again – unless you have moved house in this time.

It’s important to register to vote even if you aren’t sure yet. You never know when you might change your mind, and being on the electoral register is a great way to boost your credit score.

As a student, you can be registered to vote at both your term-time and out-of-term-time address, so you can choose which constituency you vote in.

Register to vote

Voting day

There are a few things you need to know before voting. Make sure you read through the following information carefully to ensure you’ve prepared everything you need.

Voter ID

You must present valid voter ID at your polling station, otherwise you will not be allowed to vote. A passport and driving license are valid forms of ID. Your student ID card is not a valid form of ID. Visit the Electoral Commission website for a full list of valid ID.

If you do not have any of these forms of ID, you can apply for a free NUS CitizenCard (apply by Thursday 20 June) or a Voter Authority Certificate (apply by Wednesday 26 June).

When to vote

You can only vote in person on Thursday 4 July. Polling stations will be open from 7am-10pm.

Where to vote

Although you can register to vote at your term-time and out-of-term-time address, remember you can only vote at one of these locations.

You’ll be allocated a specific polling station that you need to go to in order to vote – you cannot vote at any polling station. Use the tools below to find out where your polling station is if you live in:

A Nottingham constituency
The Broxtowe constituency
Any other constituency

What happens at the polling station?

Once you arrive at your designated polling station, you’ll be asked for your name and address, and to show your ID. You’ll then be given a ballot paper and directed to a ballot booth where there will be a pencil for you to cast your vote with.

Remember that you’ll be voting for your local MP, so make sure you do some research in advance and know who you want to vote for.

I can’t get to a polling station on 4 July

If you’re not able to vote in person on Thursday 4 July (for example, because you’re on holiday) then you can still vote – either by post or by proxy.

Postal votes

If you want to vote by post, you need to apply to do so by Wednesday 19 June. You must have already registered to vote, so make sure you do that as soon as possible to avoid delays.

Apply to vote by post

Proxy votes

Voting by proxy means choosing someone who you trust to vote on your behalf. Make sure you choose your proxy carefully, as they’ll need to vote in person at your polling station. Proxy applications must be made by Wednesday 26 June.

Apply to vote by proxy