We believe voting at elections should be accessible to everyone. Having a disability does not mean you aren’t eligible to vote.
All voters have a right to vote independently and in secret. A person who is registered to vote or who has been officially appointed as a proxy voter cannot be refused a ballot paper or the opportunity to vote on the grounds of mental or physical incapacity.
Polling station staff must ensure that disabled voters are not offered a lower standard of service than other voters and should be able to explain what assistance is available to disabled voters wishing to vote in person at a polling station.
If you cannot find what you need on this page, please contact the Elections office on 01253 658549 or email: electoral@fylde.gov.uk
You can register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The process is quick and easy but you will need your National Insurance number to hand to complete your application.
Alternatively, you can download the registration form and print it. Large print and easy-read versions are also available.
Completed registration forms should be posted to the Electoral Services Team at:
Electoral Services
Fylde Council,
St Annes Road West,
Lytham St Annes,
FY8 1LW
A large-print version of the ballot paper should be clearly displayed inside the polling station and a copy can be given to voters to take with them into the polling booth. A voter can’t vote on the large-print version, but it can be used for reference.
The accessible easy read webpages below will show you how you can register to vote in any elections local to you.
- About registering to vote – My Vote My Voice
- Registering to vote: easy read guide – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you need help registering to vote, or wish to have us complete a registration application on your behalf, you can contact us via telephone on 01253 658549 or email electoral@fylde.gov.uk
Each polling station should be accessible, or have a ramp or a separate entrance, so that everyone can access it. If you do experience any problems getting into your polling station, a member of staff can come to assist you and can bring your ballot paper to you, if necessary.
Once inside the polling station, there are clear instructions on how to vote, in both written and picture formats. Polling Station staff are trained to offer impartial guidance and maintain a stress-free environment throughout the day. There are also a number of additional ways in which an elector can receive support. Please speak to a member of staff if you require any of the following:
- Tactile Voting Device (which attaches to a ballot paper to allow blind or partially sighted voters to mark their ballot paper with or without assistance)
- Large Print Ballot Paper (as a reference for partially sighted voters)
- Ballot Paper Magnifier (a handheld device which allows an elector to magnify any part of a regular-sized ballot paper)
- Assistance from a companion (or the Polling Station’s Presiding Officer who can join an elector in the polling booth and help them mark the ballot paper*)
- other voting aids such as pencil grips and or additional lighting
*We encourage electors to bring a trusted companion to the Polling Station to assist them in voting if they would like to do so. If you require assistance marking your ballot paper, your companion and/or the Presiding Officer will need to sign a form before you can cast your vote. This is to ensure a formal record is kept of any occasion where a voter has been accompanied into the polling booth.
The accessible easy read webpages below will show you how you can vote in person
If you are not able to attend your polling station on the day of the election to vote in person, you can apply to vote by post or by proxy instead. Further information can be found on Postal and Proxy voting – Fylde Council
The accessible easy read webpages below will show you how you can vote by post or by proxy or visit our page
If you’re a carer or support worker and need more information about how you can offer support and assistance I am a carer or support worker – My Vote My Voice
