General election: how do I vote whilst at sea?

On 22 May, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak called a snap general election, which will take place on 4 July 2024. The quick turnaround means it's crucial to register to vote by 18 June to avoid disenfranchisement.

If you plan to vote in person, you can register to vote and attend your local polling station on the day to cast your vote. If you will be at sea or in port in another country, you will have to vote via post or proxy.

You can find your constituency here.

How do I register to vote?

You can register to vote by visiting the UK Government's voter registration website. Make sure you have your date of birth, address details, and National Insurance number ready. Even if you spend significant time at sea, you need a fixed address in the UK for voter registration. This can be your home address, a previous UK address, or a family member's address.

Voting by post

You can register to vote by post by filling in the online application form on the UK government website. You can also download, print and post your application form which can be found on the UK electoral commission website. You will need to provide your date of birth, National Insurance number and signature on your application form. Once completed, you can send the form to your local Electoral Registration Office – you can find the address of your local Electoral Registration Office here. You must be registered to vote before applying for a postal vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 19 June.

After the deadline has passed, ballot papers are produced and printed. Yours will then be sent to you, in your postal voting pack. Your postal vote needs to be with the elections team at your local council by 10pm on polling day to be counted.

If you are from Northern Ireland, you can apply to vote by post here. The deadline is 14 June.

Voting by proxy

A proxy vote is where you ask someone you trust to vote on your behalf on polling day. The person voting on your behalf can either go to your polling station to cast your vote or can apply to vote for you by post.

You can apply for a proxy vote on the UK government website. You can apply online, or via post. You and your proxy must both be registered to vote in the UK before you can apply. The deadline to register for a proxy vote is five working days before the election, in this case 28 June.

If you are from Northern Ireland, you can apply to vote by proxy here. The deadline is 14 June.