Guidance & Support for Homes with Multiple Occupancy

It is important that you do not make an assumption about an individual’s capacity to register or to vote or apply a “one size fits all” approach to all residents. Everyone, regardless of their capacity, should be registered to vote. It is important that vulnerable people do not lose their right to vote.

You may be supporting some residents who are using your service for a respite stay. In that case, you should check if they would like support to register to vote or find out if they have made alternative arrangements to register to vote at their home address.

Suggested actions:

• Ensure that any forms received are completed and returned promptly to avoid reminders.
• Contact the local electoral registration office in the event of a resident’s death or if new residents move in or residents move out.
• Provide information and assistance on the different ways in which residents may register and vote. Anyone who is registered will receive a poll card before an election is due to take place, telling them when the poll is, and where their polling station is or when to expect to receive their postal vote (depending on how they have chosen to vote).
• Provide scheduled transportation, if possible and appropriate, to and from polling stations.
• Assign a member of staff as a single point of contact or ‘registration champion’.

Residents who are unable to attend the polling station can apply for a postal vote.

You can help your residents apply for a postal vote online.

When applying for a postal vote, the following information must be supplied:

• Full name
• Registered address
• Date of Birth
• National Insurance number
• Signature of elector (photo must be uploaded of their handwritten signature)
• Whether they require a permanent postal vote or if it is for a specific election only.

The National Insurance number can be found on official paperwork such as letters from the Department for Work and Pensions or HM Revenue & Customs.  The details may also be known by relatives.

Where this identifying information cannot be provided, applicants must give the reason why they cannot provide the information. They will then be contacted and required to provide documentary evidence of their identity or you can upload this evidence directly when submitting your application which will avoid delaying the processing of the application.

When returning postal votes, the elector’s signature must match their original application.  If you are aware that that the signature has changed , please contact us as soon as possible and we can issue a signature refresh form.

A person who is applying to vote by post or already votes by post and who is unable to sign or to provide a signature in a consistent way, can apply for a ‘signature waiver’ by contacting us on 01892 6042407 or by email. 

Enquiries may be made to ensure that the request for a waiver is genuine and not being used to avoid postal vote security measures.

You must ensure that residents with postal votes have privacy while they are marking their ballot paper.  It is very important that the resident marks their own ballot paper.

The postal ballot paper will be accompanied by a postal vote statement on which the resident must provide their signature and date of birth.  You can help with this, but the resident must sign the postal vote statement themselves (unless they have been granted a  waiver by the Electoral Services Team).  You can help place the ballot paper (without looking at how it has been marked) into the correct envelope ensuring that their vote remains secret. 

The days which are disregarded in calculating the timetable for a UK Parliamentary election are Saturday, Sunday, bank holidays and any day appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning.

Please be aware that the timetable may change in the event of days being appointed for public thanksgiving or mourning.