Polling day: how do I vote?

You have until 10pm tonight to cast your vote. Credit: PA Images

Today is the day you can cast your vote in the General Election. Polls are open from 7am until 10pm.

As long as you are registered to vote, you can turn up at anytime during these hours.

Don't worry if you've lost your polling card, you can just give your name and address at the polling station and the staff there will be able to find you on the register.

To find out where you have to vote just put your postcode into the search bar on 'Your Vote Matters' and it will tell you the polling station you need to use.

Not sure how it all works today? The Electoral Commission has the following advice:

HOW DO I VOTE AT A POLLING STATION?

  • The staff at the polling station will give you a ballot paper listing the candidates you can vote for.

  • You may be given more than one ballot paper if there is more than one election taking place in your local area on the same day.

  • Take your ballot paper into a polling booth so that no one can see how you vote.

  • Read the ballot paper carefully, it will tell you how to cast your vote.

  • Do not write anything else on the paper or your vote may not be counted.

  • Mark your ballot paper according to the instructions. A pencil will be provided for you to do this, but you may use your own pen if you prefer.

  • If you make a mistake on your ballot paper, don't worry – so long as you haven't already put it in the ballot box, just let the polling station staff know and they can issue you with a replacement ballot paper.

  • Fold your completed ballot paper in half, show the back to the Presiding Officer and then pop it in the ballot box – and that's it done!

NEED ASSISTANCE AT THE POLLING STATION?

  • If you need any advice, just ask the staff at the polling station – they will be happy to help you.

  • If you are disabled, you can ask for help and the Presiding Officer can mark the ballot paper for you. You can also ask someone else to help you (e.g. a support worker, as long as they are either a relative or an eligible elector and have not already helped more than one other person vote).

  • If you have a visual impairment, you can ask to see a large print ballot paper or you can ask for a special voting device that allows you to vote on your own in secret.

TELLERS AT POLLING STATIONS

On election day volunteers for candidates called tellers wait outside polling stations and ask voters for the number on their polling card. They use this information to check who's voted so they can remind those who haven't to do so.

They are not acting in any official capacity so you don't need to give them any information if you don't want to.If you are concerned about the conduct of a teller, speak to the presiding officer at the polling station.

CAN I TAKE PHOTOGRAPHS?

Pictures taken outside the polling station are great to use on social media and encourage your friends and family to vote, but don’t take any photos inside the polling station as you might find yourself in breach of secrecy of the ballot requirements.

If you were expecting to vote by postal vote but your ballot card hasn't come through you should call your council asap.

After voting is closed, ballots are collected and counted. Credit: PA Images