Information for voters with disabilities
Registering to vote
Click on the sections below for further information.
Am I registered to vote? Toggle accordion
To check whether you're registered for voting, contact Electoral Services.
How do I register to vote? Toggle accordion
- The Registering to vote: easy read guide provides a step-by-step easy to read guide about registering to vote.
- An online registration form is available to complete at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
- See our Electoral register and voting page for more information.
Registration forms in different formats Toggle accordion
- An online registration form is available to complete at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
- An Easy read voter registration form (England) is available to download, print and complete. Completed forms can be posted to us at: Electoral Services, St Albans City and District Council, Civic Centre, St Peters Street, St Albans, Herts, AL1 3JE.
- To request a printed copy of a large-scale registration form or an easy read registration form, contact Electoral Services.
Contact us if you have any questions about registering to vote Toggle accordion
Contact Electoral Services using our online form or call us on 01727 819294.
Voting and elections
The method you use to vote is up to you. It may depend on what you find easiest or most convenient. In the UK, there are three different ways you can vote: by post, by proxy, or at the polling station. Click on the sections below for more information.
Voting at the polling station Toggle accordion
The UK Government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station at most elections. This new requirement will apply for the first time in England at the local elections on Thursday 4 May 2023. To vote in person, voters must be on the electoral register and bring a suitable form of photo ID to their polling station. See our Elections Act and Voter ID page for more information, or see the easy read guide under our "Online resources and easy read guides" section below.
Find out where your polling station is by using Democracy Club’s polling station finder.
Polling stations are open between 7am and 10pm on election day.
All of our polling stations have step-free access.
Staff at our polling station are available to provide help and information.
Disabled voters may take a companion to help them vote at the polling station
The following equipment is available at polling stations:
A large-scale copy of the ballot paper
A magnifying glass
A "tactile voting device" - This is a plastic device with embossed numbers and tab windows. It can be attached to a ballot paper to help blind and partially sighted voters to vote independently.
A low-level polling booth
Pencil grips
Voting by post or by appointing a proxy Toggle accordion
Voting by post is an easy and convenient way of voting if you’re not able to get to the polling station.
- If you apply to vote by post, you will receive your ballot paper through the post at election time. Postal ballot papers are usually sent out two weeks before an election. They must be returned to us by 10pm on the day of an election in order to be included in the count.
- See our Electoral register and voting page for information about how to apply for a postal vote.
Alternatively, you can appoint someone you trust to attend your polling station and vote on your behalf as your proxy.
- Proxy votes are usually set up for one election at a time.
- However, proxy votes can be set up for longer periods of time if you can't get to the polling station because of a disability.
- See our Electoral register and voting page for information about how to apply for a proxy vote.
Contact us if you have any questions about voting and elections Toggle accordion
Contact Electoral Services using our online form or call us on 01727 819294.
Online resources and easy read guides
Click on the sections below for links to external online resources.
Registering to vote: Easy read guide and registration form Toggle accordion
Click on the links below to be directed to central government resources:
Voter ID / photo ID: Easy read guide Toggle accordion
The Electoral Commission's easy read guide to voter ID includes everything you need to know about photo ID for elections in England.
British Sign Language videos about voting and voter ID / photo ID Toggle accordion
Click the link below for a YouTube playlist of British Sign Language videos relating to registering to vote and voting:
Click the link below for the Electoral Commission's British Sign Language videos relating to voter ID:
Audio version of Voter ID information Toggle accordion
Click the link below for an audio version of the Electoral Commission's guide to voter ID.
Mencap: Easy read guides about voting and registering to vote Toggle accordion
Mencap have worked with the Electoral Commission to produce accessible guides to support people in being able to vote. The guides are available to download from Mencap's Elections webpage at https://www.mencap.org.uk/get-involved/campaign-mencap/elections.
RNIB: Information about voting and elections Toggle accordion
Click on the link below for information about voting and elections produced for people with sight loss by the charity RNIB:
Practice ballot paper Toggle accordion
Click the link below for a local election practice ballot paper and easy read guide produced by a charity called United Response:
My Vote My Voice Toggle accordion
My Vote My Voice is a campaign developed by United Response, Dimensions, Mencap, Ambitious About Autism and the people who draw on their care and support.