UK Parliamentary election - 4 July 2024
A UK Parliamentary election has been announced and will take place on Thursday 4 July 2024.
St Albans City and District Council is responsible for two UK Parliamentary constituencies: St Albans, and Harpenden and Berkhamsted. The Boundary Commission for England's 2023 review page provides further information about the new constituency boundaries that are in force for the 4 July election.
Make sure you're registered to vote
You must be on the electoral register in order to vote. If you've recently moved, it's important that you register at your new address. You can register to vote by completing an online registration form at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The deadline for registering to vote at the 4 July 2024 election is Tuesday 18 June 2024. Visit our Electoral register and voting page for further details of how to register.
To check whether you meet the eligibility requirements to vote at the UK Parliamentary election, see the FAQs below or visit the Electoral Commission's Who can vote webpage.
Voter ID
Voters are required to show photo ID when voting at a polling station. Visit our Elections Act and Voter ID page for more information.
If you don't have suitable photo ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. Visit our Elections Act and Voter ID page for more information. The deadline for applying for a Voter Authority Certificate at the 4 July 2024 election is 5pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.
Can't get to the polling station?
If you can't make it to the polling station on election day, you can apply to vote by post or appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. Visit our Electoral register and voting page for details of how to apply. The relevant deadlines are:
- Applying for a postal vote or a postal-proxy vote = 5pm Wednesday 19 June 2024
- Cancelling or changing an existing postal vote, a proxy vote, or a postal-proxy vote = 5pm Wednesday 19 June 2024
- Applying for a proxy vote = 5pm Wednesday 26 June 2024
Key deadlines
Don't lose your chance to vote. Below are the deadlines for registering to vote (if you're not already on the electoral register), applying for a postal vote, applying for a proxy vote, and (if you don't have photo ID) applying for a Voter Authority Certificate.
| Deadline for: | Date: | Time: |
|---|---|---|
| Registering to vote | Tuesday 18 June 2024 | Midnight |
| Applying for a postal / postal-proxy vote | Wednesday 19 June 2024 | 5pm |
| Cancelling or changing a postal / postal-proxy / or proxy vote | Wednesday 19 June 2024 | 5pm |
| Applying for a new proxy vote | Wednesday 26 June 2024 | 5pm |
| Applying for a Voter Authority Certificate | Wednesday 26 June 2024 | 5pm |
| Applying for an emergency proxy vote | Thursday 4 July 2024 | 5pm |
| Re-issuing lost or spoilt postal voting packs | Thursday 4 July 2024 | 5pm |
Election notices
Notices related to the 4 July 2024 election will appear below once published.
Finding your polling station
Shortly before an election, you will be sent a poll card which contains the address of your polling station.
Information about polling districts and polling places can be found through the Council's Where I Live service. Search for an address in the district and you will be provided with information about the relevant polling district, polling station and elected representatives. Alternatively, use the Council's District mapping service for an interactive map which can be used to view electoral boundaries.
Polling stations may change depending on the election. In the run-up to an election, you can also find details of your polling station by using Democracy Club’s polling station finder.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you have any questions about this election, please take a look at the questions below and on our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ page. Information is also available on the Electoral Commission’s website.
If you can’t find an answer to your question below, please contact us.
Contact details
email: elections@stalbans.gov.uk
telephone: 01727 819294
I’d like to stand as a candidate; where can I find further information? Toggle accordion
Nomination packs for UK Parliamentary elections in England are available to download from the Electoral Commission's website.
The Electoral Commission have also produced Guidance for Candidates and Agents at UK Parliamentary general elections in Great Britain.
To arrange an appointment to submit nomination papers, please contact Electoral Services on 01727 819565 / 819554 or elections@stalbans.gov.uk.
Nomination papers can be submitted between the hours of 10am and 4pm from Monday 3 June to Friday 7 June. The deadline for the receipt of candidate nominations is 4pm on Friday 7 June.
Who’s standing for election? Toggle accordion
Once the nomination period has closed (4pm on Friday 7 June), please see the "Statement of Persons Nominated" under the Election Notices section above.
Am I eligible to vote at the UK Parliamentary election? Toggle accordion
To be eligible to vote at the UK Parliamentary election, you must:
- be 18 years old or older
- be registered to vote
- be a British, Irish, or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
To check whether you meet the eligibility requirements, visit the Electoral Commission's Who can vote webpage.
Do I need photo ID to vote? Toggle accordion
To vote in a polling station, you will need to bring an acceptable form of photo ID. This requirement was introduced as part of the Elections Act 2022.
For more information about acceptable forms of photo ID, and what to do if you don't have photo ID, please visit our Elections Act and Voter ID page.
Why aren’t postal votes sent out as soon as an application comes in? Toggle accordion
Candidate nominations closed at 16:00 on Friday 7 June, so ballot papers could only be finalised and sent to print after that.
Due to the short notice for the 4 July UK Parliamentary General Election, specialist election printers and Royal Mail are working at capacity to print and deliver over 8 million postal votes across the UK.
It’s a complicated process, with personalised postal vote statements matched with the correct ballot paper. There is also a need to produce personalised envelopes and instruction sheets. We also need to carry out crucial security checks which add to the time needed to prepare and send votes out.
Why are some details pre-printed on my postal voting statement? Toggle accordion
The first two digits of your year of birth are pre-printed on your postal voting statement. The digits are pre-populated in the first two boxes of the year of birth based on your date of birth. This is done to assist electors to complete this section of the postal voting statement correctly.
What if I’m going on holiday before my postal vote is likely to arrive? Toggle accordion
If you applied for a postal vote and don’t think you’ll be home to return it by post in time for it to reach us by Thursday 4 July, but you will be home on Thursday 4 July, you can drop your completed postal vote pack in to your polling station. You must complete a form when you hand it in.
If you won’t be back in time to use your postal vote, you can instead appoint someone you trust to vote on your behalf as a proxy. You will need to:
- cancel your postal vote by 17:00 on Wednesday 19 June. This will happen automatically when you appoint a proxy, but you can contact us to talk about other options to cancel.
- make a proxy application by 17:00 on Wednesday 26 June
The person you appoint as a proxy must:
- be a registered parliamentary elector who can vote in this election.
- only be a proxy for up to two electors living in the UK, plus up to two people living abroad, or up to four people living abroad
Once appointed, your proxy can:
- vote in person on your behalf at your polling station. They will have to show their own accepted form of photo ID to be able to vote or
- vote by post for you but must apply for a proxy postal vote by 17:00 on Wednesday 19 June.
Can I return my completed postal vote pack in person? Toggle accordion
If you aren't able to return your postal vote pack in time via Royal Mail, you can return it via reception at the Civic Centre offices (during office hours) or at your polling station on polling day.
You will only be able to hand in your own postal vote and the postal votes of up to five other people. Political campaigners can only hand in their own postal vote, and postal votes for up to five other people that are either close relatives, or someone they provide regular care for.
Anybody handing in a postal vote in person at the council offices or at a polling station must complete a short form.
I haven't received my postal vote pack, what can I do? Toggle accordion
Postal vote packs are usually sent out around two weeks before election day. If you've not received your postal vote pack by four working days before election day, contact Electoral Services on 01727 819294 or elections@stalbans.gov.uk. We can only issue a replacement before 5pm on election day.
What is a teller? Toggle accordion
A teller is a volunteer working for a candidate or a political party. They stand outside polling stations to record who has voted. They do not work for the Returning Officer.
Tellers can:
• Ask for your elector number
• Wear a small coloured rosette to show which candidate or party they work for
Tellers can't:
• Intimidate electors or demand their elector number
• Prevent electors from entering the polling station
• Attempt to influence how electors vote
Where can I find the results of the elections? Toggle accordion
Once the results have been declared, they will be published on our website. The results will also be displayed at: St Albans City & District Council Offices, Civic Centre, St Peters Street, St Albans, AL1 3JE.