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Voting information

Click below to register to vote, download an application form or for further information

  • Register to Vote

    Please keep your registration up to date as our electoral registers are in use all year round for by-elections and future local and national elections.

    Our registers are used for elections to community councils, local councils, the Cairngorms National Park authority, the Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament.

    Register to Vote here

  • Annual Canvass
    For more information, see here;

  • Voter Authority Certificates

    From 4 May 2023, voters in Scotland need to show photo ID to vote at polling places in some elections.

    This applies to:

    • UK parliamentary by-elections
    • Recall petitions
    • From October 2023 it will also apply to UK General elections.

     

    If you don’t have accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate. A list of accepted photo ID documents can be found here.

    You need to be registered to vote before you apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.

    When you register to vote, you’ll be asked whether you have photo ID or if you want to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.

    The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate will be 5pm six working days before the date of the election.

    Apply online
    You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate on gov.uk by following the link at the bottom of this section.

    Apply by post
    You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by post by downloading an application form here and returning it to us by post.

    Information you will need to provide
    When applying for a Voter Authority Certificate, you will need to provide your:

    • name
    • address
    • date of birth
    • National Insurance number

    You should apply using the same name that you used to register to vote.

    You will not need to provide your gender, and your certificate will not have a gender marker.

    If you don’t know your National Insurance number or don’t have one, you can find your National Insurance number on:

    • payslips
    • official letters about tax, pensions or benefits

     

    You can still apply if you don’t know your National Insurance number, or don’t have one but you will need to provide other forms of proof of identity, such as a birth certificate, bank statement and a utility bill.

    We will contact you to arrange this.

    If you don’t have any other accepted proof of identity, you can ask someone you know to confirm your identity. This is known as an attestation.

    Providing a photograph
    You will need to submit a photo with your application. The requirements for the photo are similar to the requirements for a passport photo.

    If you need help taking a photo, then we will be able to do this for you.

    To be accepted the photo you provide must meet certain requirements in terms of style, quality and size:

    Photo style
    Your photo must be:

    • of you facing forward and looking straight at the camera
    • a close up of your head and shoulders, without any head covering, unless you wear one for religious beliefs or medical reasons. Your face must not be covered for any reason.
    • of you with a plain facial expression and with your eyes open and clearly visible (for example without sunglasses and not obscured with hair). Please note this does not apply if you are unable to provide a photograph which complies with either or both of those requirements due to any disability.

     

    If you are unable to meet the requirements due to a disability, then please contact us.

    Processing your application
    We will process your application and we will send the Voter Authority Certificate to you by post.

    We will also send you instructions on how to use your certificate.

    All data you provide when applying for a certificate will be stored securely in line with data protection regulations.

    If you need any help with applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or want to request an application form, contact us.

     

     

    Apply online

  • Download an electoral application form

    You can find application forms here.

    Download a form here

  • Require a Postal Vote Application form?

    Require a Postal Vote? Download an application form using the link here or contact us on 01224 068400 for assistance.

    Please refer to the guidance below on how to return the completed form to us.

    Download a Postal Vote Application form here

  • Require a Proxy Vote Application form?

    Require a Proxy Vote? Download an application form using the link here or contact us on 01224 068400 for assistance.

    Please refer to the guidance below on how to return the completed form to us.

    Download a Proxy Vote Application form here

  • Return a completed application form to vote by post or proxy

    You can return completed application forms by email, post or hand:

    EMAIL

    Forms which have been scanned can be returned to us by email.

    Please send a scan of your postal vote application form to postal@grampian-ero.gov.uk

    Please send a scan of your proxy vote application form to proxy@grampian-ero.gov.uk

    Please send a scan of your emergency proxy vote application form to eproxy@grampian-ero.gov.uk

    POST

    Post your form to Grampian Electoral Registration Office, Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen, AB16 5GE

    HAND

    You can leave your form at the reception or in the letterbox of our office at Woodhill House, Westburn Road, Aberdeen, AB16 5GE

    You can leave your form in the mailbox of our office at Mitchell Burnett House, Colleonard Road, Banff, AB45 1DZ or through the letterbox of our office at 234 High Street, Elgin, IV30 1BA. Please do not send your form to the Banff or Elgin addresses using the postal service as a mail direction is in place and your form may not be received by us by the relevant deadline.

     

     

  • Check if you are registered to vote

    Unsure if you are registered to vote? Please give us some details and we’ll check and let you know.

    Click here to give us some details

  • Changed address?

    Please register at your new address using the link below, and remember to provide your former address so that we can keep our records up to date.

    Register here

  • Changed your name?

    Please re-register with your new name using the link below.

    Re-register here

  • Contact us about something else

    If you need to contact us about anything else, please give us some details and we’ll get in touch

    Give us some more details here

  • Further information
    Click here for further information