To vote in local and national elections, you must have first registered to vote.

• If you want to vote in person and attend your polling station, you must now have suitable voter ID, or a ‘voter authority certificate’.
• Remember you don’t have to vote in person. You can instead vote by post. You don’t need voter ID to vote by post
• You can alternatively apply for a proxy vote (arrange for someone to vote for you)
• Register to vote
• Register for a postal vote
• Register to vote by proxy
• Register for a Voter Authority Certificate

Voter ID

You now have to take voter ID with you to vote in person. The types of ID accepted include passports and driving licences, but you’ll find more information on voter ID here.

If you don’t have any acceptable ID you can apply for a voter authority certificate . You must apply for a voter authority certificate before 5pm April 25th 2023.

Postal Votes

The easiest way to vote is by post. Postal votes are simple, safe and convenient. You are given 10 days to vote rather than one day. It’s convenient and makes life much easier if you have work or family or carer responsibilities that take out polling day. In addition, with an election taking place in winter, a postal vote would mean you don’t need to travel to a polling station in the dark or in bad weather.

Find out how to apply for a postal vote here

……and then download the form. After filling it out just return it to:

Eastbourne Borough Council
Electoral Registration Officer
Town Hall
Grove Road
BN21 4UG

NOTE The electoral services team at the Town Hall may also accept a scanned copy of your form by email, but you should check with them first. 01323 410000.

If you’re not sure if you already have a postal vote, contact the electoral services team to find out.

You will need to complete a new postal vote application if you have moved house.

NB If you live outside of Eastbourne you can find your local Electoral Services Team here: https://www.gov.uk/get-on-electoral-register