Postal vote reminder - General Election

With under four weeks to go before the General Election, voters in Orkney and Shetland are being urged to think now about how they plan to take part in the poll.

This will be the first General Election held in December since 1923.

People who may be concerned about getting to their polling station on the day are advised to consider voting by post instead.

“There is a higher than usual risk of disruption given that the election is taking place in the depths of winter,” said John Mundell, Returning Officer for the Orkney and Shetland constituency.

“Harsh weather could have an impact on the election process, including the ability of the electorate to get out to vote on the day.

“I would encourage people to apply now if they think that a postal vote would be a good option for December’s election – and suggest to friends, neighbours and family members that they consider doing the same.”

To apply to vote by post, Orkney residents should contact the Electoral Registration Office at 8 Broad Street, Kirkwall - phone 01856 876222 or send an email to ero@orkney.gov.uk

People do not need to apply if they are already registered and will receive postal voting packs later this month.

If you are going to be away at the time of the election you can instead nominate someone to vote on your behalf – this is called a proxy vote. Contact your local Electoral Registration Office to find out more and register for a proxy vote.

To vote in this election – either in person at a polling station, by post or by proxy - people need to be 18 and over and registered at their current address on the Electoral Register for Orkney or Shetland.

If you are unsure about whether you are included on the register at your current address, contact your local Electoral Registration Office for help. If you have recently moved address and have not registered yet, you can do this online on the 'Register to Vote' section of the GOV.UK website.

Important deadlines:

• You can register to vote until midnight on Tuesday 26 November.
• You can apply for a postal vote until 17:00 on Tuesday 26 November.
• You can apply for a proxy vote until 17:00 on Wednesday 4 December.

Polling stations will be open on Thursday 12 December between 07:00 to 22:00.

Votes will be counted at Kirkwall Grammar School, with Shetland’s ballot boxes transported to Orkney after the close of poll.

For further information visit our UK General Election 2019 page.