Elections FAQs

Yes they can, including outside polling stations but they should comply with the Electoral Commission’s Code of Conduct, keeping access to polling places and the pavement clear. Campaigners should be thoughtful to voters in their approach - for example, recognising that some voters may find groups of supporters outside a polling station intimidating.

Yes but all cancellation requests must be sent in writing to:

Electoral Services  
Council Offices
Kesteven Street
Sleaford
NG34 7EF
or emailed to: elections@n-kesteven.gov.uk

Requests to cancel your postal vote can be made at any time unless the election timetable has started and then the request must be made and received by the specified deadline (11 working days before polling day) which will be printed on your poll card. If you decide you would like to vote by post or proxy again at a later date please contact Customer Services for a new application form on 01529 414155.

Yes – there is an online service that enables electors to register. You will need to provide specific information including current and previous address, national insurance number, date of birth and nationality - visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

No – legislation only allows electors to vote either in person at a polling station or by postal vote or by appointing a proxy to vote on your behalf.

Yes. Polling station staff and police officers shouldn’t discourage campaigning that is carried out peaceably but if campaigners are blocking access to the polling station, they can be asked to leave. The Presiding Officer is responsible for maintaining order at the polling station.

No, not in Great Britain. Voters are asked to give their name and address and these are checked against the electoral register.

No. Every voter is allocated a specific polling station serving the area in which they live, details of which are provided on their poll card. This is sent out ahead of the elections and provides useful information to voters, but they do not need to bring it with them in order to vote.

f you are registered as a postal or proxy vote the information is shown on your poll card. Please contact Electoral Services on 01529 308238 for further information.

If you are registered to vote, we will send you a poll card telling you when an election is happening and where and when you need to vote. You can also check details of forthcoming elections.

Service personnel and their husbands, wives or civil partners have the option of making a service declaration or can register to vote as an ordinary voter either online or by requesting a voter registration form. The way you choose to register to vote is up to you and will depend on your personal circumstances.

• If you are based in the UK and unlikely to be posted overseas in the next year, you can register as an Ordinary Voter - visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
• If you are based overseas or expect to be posted abroad in the next year, it makes sense to register as a Service Voter. A Service Voter Registration will last for five years. To register as an Armed Forces Voter visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote-armed-forces

For ‘spoilt’ postal vote packs (where you have made a mistake that cannot be rectified) then all documents need to be returned in person to the Council Offices in Sleaford so that replacements can be issued. Electors may be asked to sign for replacements. Please contact Electoral Services on 01529 308238 for further information.

If you have not missed the deadline to register to vote for the election you can still request, complete and return a registration form to the Electoral Services department. If the deadline has passed and you are on the Electoral Register at your previous address you may go and vote at your previous polling station. Please contact Electoral services for further information on 01529 308238.

Please unseal the envelopes and put the correct document in the correct envelope. Reseal the envelopes and initial them.

If you have already posted the pack back, contact Electoral Services on 01529 308238 for further information.

Yes if you are on the Electoral Register but did not receive or have lost your poll card, you can still vote in person at your local polling station but if you are registered to vote by post then you cannot vote at a polling station and you must vote using the postal ballot papers that will be sent to the address specified on your application form. Electors who vote by post should receive a postal poll card.

If you are not on the Electoral Register, you will need to complete and submit a registration form to the Electoral Services department before you can vote. The cut-off date is 11 working days before the date of the election. Your details must be entered onto the Electoral Register before the cut-off date in order to vote in that election. If your details are not entered onto the register before the cut-off date then you will be unable to vote in that election.

If you have not received your poll card or would like to check if you are a postal voter please contact Customer Services on 01529 414155.

For ‘lost’ postal vote packs (where you have not received your postal vote pack) replacements can be provided. You will need to visit the Council Offices in Sleaford with documentation to verify your identity/address so that replacements can be issued. You may be asked to sign for replacements. Please contact Electoral Services on 01529 308238 for further information.

If you are not a resident of North Kesteven, please contact your local electoral registration office.

No - the two are completely separate and paying Council Tax does not mean that your details have been added to the Electoral Register. Visit our Register to vote page for details on how to register.

Please contact Human Resources for an application form on 01529 414155.

Students may be entitled to register at both their home address and their university address, but can only vote once to the same elected chamber or position. For example, you may be registered in two different parliamentary constituencies but you can only vote once as it is elections for the same body or post. The final decision on a registration rests with the electoral registration officer with whom you are trying to register. Please contact us for further information.

No. At local elections in England, votes are counted by hand by appointed counting staff.

It is the responsibility of each individual candidate to provide information and/or documentation to the electorate. The Council does not have or send out this information.

There is no single source of candidate information, so you should visit candidate websites, party websites, or write to the party.

If you have filled in and returned an individual electoral registration form since you moved to your new home, you do not need to register again. If you have not, you need register to vote again. If you want to register to vote in England or Wales, you can register online any time at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

When you go to the polling station, tell the clerk your name and address. The clerk will confirm your details on the register and give you a ballot paper for each election that you are eligible to vote for at the polling station.

When you are given your ballot paper(s), go to one of the polling booths. Mark a cross (X) in the box on the right hand side of the ballot paper(s) opposite the name(s) of the party or individual candidate(s) you are voting for.

The ballot paper(s) tells you how many candidates you may vote for. Do not vote for more than that number. Do not put any other mark on the ballot paper(s), or your vote(s) may not be counted.

If you spoil your ballot paper(s) by mistake, show the Presiding Officer and ask for a replacement. You can only get a replacement vote if you have not put your ballot paper in the ballot box.

Fold the ballot paper(s) in two. Show the Presiding Officer the number and other unique identifying mark on the ballot paper(s), but do not let anyone see your vote.

Put the ballot paper(s) in the ballot box and leave the polling station.

If you are a resident of North Kesteven and receive a poll card or a postal vote for someone who does not live at your address please contact Electoral Services immediately on 01529 308238.

If you are not a resident of North Kesteven, please contact your local electoral registration office.

This could be electoral fraud. Electoral fraud is taken extremely seriously by everyone involved in the democratic process.

All polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. People need to make sure they arrive at the polling station in time to cast their vote.

You need to be on the electoral register to vote in all UK elections and referendums. You are not automatically registered even if you pay council tax.

If you receive a request for your registration information from then you are legally obliged to respond. If you do not respond you could face a fine of up to £1,000,

It is an offence to knowingly give false information and you could face a fine of up to £5,000 and/or up to six months in prison. If you do not make an application for registration when required to do so, you could face a fine of £80.

Some people also register to vote because they want to apply for credit. This is because credit reference agencies use the register to confirm where someone lives when they apply for credit in order to counteract fraud.

There are a number of reasons why a vote may be rejected. In the case of postal votes, the most common reason is that the signature and/or date of birth provided on the postal voting statement do not match the ones supplied when the application was made to vote by post.

If the postal voting statement is not accepted, then that voter’s ballot paper cannot be counted. At the count, ballot papers are rejected if the intention of the voter is unclear, for example if they have marked their ballot paper incorrectly.

There is guidance to Returning Officers to assist them in their decision-making, including examples of what should and should not be accepted, based on the legislation and case law.