There are three ways to vote:
- At a polling station
- By post
- By proxy
At a polling station
If you are registered to vote, then about four weeks before the election you will receive a poll card at your address telling you where you should go to vote and the hours your polling station will be open. Polling stations in Fife are usually open from 7am to 10pm on election day.
On election day, go to your polling station. This is usually a school, local hall or public building near where you live. When you arrive at the polling station, staff will be on hand to direct you to where voting is taking place.
When you have located your polling station, tell the staff there your name and address. You do not have to bring your poll card with you to vote but it might save time if you do. If you show your poll card to the staff, you must remember to take it away with you.
At UK Parliament elections, you are now required to show valid ID before being given a ballot paper. For more information go to our Voter ID page.
You will then be given a ballot paper or ballot papers if there is more than one election on that day and directed to a polling booth to cast your vote in private.
In the polling booth you will find instructions to assist you in marking your ballot paper correctly. These instructions can also be found at the top of the ballot paper.
Mark your ballot paper as directed, fold it half and put it in the ballot box after you have shown the back of your ballot paper to the polling staff.
Staff are available in the polling station to assist electors, so please ask questions if there is anything you are unsure of.
If you are not able to attend a polling station on the day of an election, you can apply in advance to vote by post or by proxy.
Voting by post
You do not need a reason to vote by post.
To find out about voting by post, and to apply for a postal vote, go to our Apply to Vote by post or by proxy page.
If you need help completing your postal ballot paper, you can ask someone you know to assist you or you can get independent help by contacting the election helpline. Alternatively, you can download a pictorial guide to completing your postal voting pack:
Voting by proxy
Voting by proxy means that you appoint someone else to vote on your behalf. This can be useful if you can't get to a polling station on polling day for example if you are abroad or have to be away for work reasons.
Remember you and your appointed proxy must be registered individually to apply.
To find out about voting by proxy, and to apply for a proxy vote, go to our Apply to Vote by post or by proxy page
