With less than a month to go until the General Election, there will no doubt be many questions as we head into this period of decision making. Here at CVS Falkirk & District, whilst we are non-partisan and take no role in shaping decision making around whether to vote or not; as always, we wish to support our local communities and assist in any way we can. As such, we have gathered below a wealth of resources to explain the voting process.

Key Deadlines

Register to Vote: Tuesday 18 June at 23:59
Applying for a Voter ID: Wednesday 26 June at 17:00
Applying for a Postal Vote: Wednesday 19 June at 17:00
Applying for a Proxy Vote: Wednesday 26 June at 17:00

The full timetable for the 2024 General Election can be found on the House of Commons Library website.

What Is The General Election?

The next General Election will take place on 4 July 2024. To vote in this election, you must be aged 18 and over.

On 22 May 2024, Rishi Sunak announced he had requested permission from the King to dissolve parliament and called a general election to be held on 4 July. Parliament was prorogued on 24 May and dissolved on 30 May.

The General Election covers UK Parliament representation and serves to elect Members of Parliament (MPs) to the House of Commons. It is important to note that constituency boundaries in the UK have changed to reflect population growth, you can confirm your constituency and find out more about these changes on the UK Parliament website.

We are currently within the period known as Purdah – or the pre-election period of sensitivity: this marks the duration of time when parliament sits in dissolution in the run up to an election. Government and local authority resources cannot be used for publicity campaigns, but during this time, using council resources, holding events or launching consultations should also be considered. Even seemingly simple actions such as council figures attending local events in a council capacity must be considered due to the potential to influence voters.

You can find official election information for your area, including a list of the candidates who are standing, on the Electoral Commission website under Your Election Information. In addition, information about candidates in each constituency is collected online by the independent website, Who Can I Vote For?

How Can I Vote?

You need to be registered to vote before you can vote in UK elections or referendums. You can vote in person at a polling station; by post; or by proxy.

IN PERSON

You vote in person at a polling station (usually in a public building, such as a school or local hall) – linked is a list of Falkirk Council Polling Places. Prior to election day, you will be sent a poll card telling you when to vote and at which polling station. You can only vote at the polling station location on your card.

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on the day of an election. When you get to the polling station, give your name and address to the staff inside. You’ll need to show your photo ID to confirm your identity and you’ll be given a ballot paper containing a list of the candidates. Follow the instructions on the notices in the polling booth and on the top of the ballot paper to vote.

POSTAL

You can apply for a postal vote if: you’re away from home on election day (on holiday for example) or you’re based abroad. You must apply by 5pm on 19 June 2024 and can find support to apply online or by post.

Ballot papers are produced and printed approximately three weeks before polling day. Yours will then be sent to you, in your postal voting pack. When voting by post, you should: mark your vote on your ballot paper in secret; fill in the postal voting statement; put the ballot and statement in the envelope provided; seal the envelope yourself; and post your ballot back as quickly as possible to make sure it’s counted. Your postal vote needs to be with the elections team at your local council by 10pm on polling day to be counted.

PROXY

How do proxy votes work? You can nominate a proxy to vote on your behalf; this is someone who will stand in and vote on your behalf if you cannot go to the polling station in person. You can only apply for a proxy vote under certain circumstances, including:

being away on polling day
being registered as an overseas voter
having a medical issue or disability
not being able to vote in person because of work or military service

Your proxy should be someone you trust to vote on your behalf as you’ll need to tell them which candidate (or referendum outcome) you want to vote for. You can also request an emergency proxy vote after this deadline if last-minute work commitments or a medical emergency mean you cannot vote in person. You can apply for this up to 17:00 on polling day.

What To Know Before You Go

If you have a disability, your local Electoral Registration Office can tell you about:

physical access, for example wheelchair ramps and disabled parking spaces
low-level polling booths
any specific equipment you need

Every polling station must provide at least one large print display version of the ballot paper.

As this is a UK General Election, voters are now required to show Photo ID when they vote at polling stations. You can see the full list of accepted forms of photo IDs on the Electoral Commission’s website. If you do not have an accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free Voter ID online, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. You can also apply for this by post, by sending your application to: Lothian Valuation Joint Board, 17A South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9FL.

If you’re registered to vote anonymously and want to vote in person, you’ll need to apply for an Anonymous Elector’s Document. Individuals may register to vote anonymously if there is reason to believe your name and address being on the electoral register could affect your safety, or the safety of someone in your household – this means you will still be able to vote, but your name and address will not be on the electoral register. Your electoral registration office will not disclose your details to anyone, unless they are legally required to.

How Does The General Election Relate To My Organisation

OSCR have recently updated their guidance about charities and campaigning on political issues. The guidance takes the form of frequently asked questions, and includes helpful information about relevant topics including:

how can charities engage with political parties and politicians?
can charities take part in joint or local political campaigns?
what do charities in Scotland need to do to comply with electoral and charity law?

The update reflects changes in electoral law since the guidance was last written and has been prepared with the help of the Electoral Commission. We have also added a new section on local campaigns which will be of particular relevance to community-based charities.

It cannot be the purpose of a charity to support a political party, but charities may campaign on political issues where it is consistent with their charitable purposes. You should take particular care during election periods where your charity’s support for, or opposition to, a local campaign may be viewed as aligning with a particular political party or a candidate seeking election. This isn’t to say you cannot get involved but rather this may offer an opportunity to engage with parties across the political spectrum to build new relationships and discuss how your issues may show up on the next government’s agenda. But instead, highlighting the importance of knowing the guidelines. As Martin Tyson, OSCR’s Head of Regulation & Improvement, said:

“If a charity intends to campaign on political issues at any time, whether those are local issues, national campaigns or during election periods, it’s really important for trustees to be aware of the rules and legal requirements around political campaigning for charities.”

For more information about the possibilities and parameters around the General Election, you can listen to the Civil Society podcast interview with Chris Walker, the Policy and Public Affairs Manager at NCVO.

What Happens After?

After the votes have been counted, the King asks the leader of the party with the most MPs to become Prime Minister and to form a government. The leader of the party with the second highest number of MPs becomes the Leader of the Opposition. If no party ends up with a majority of MPs – meaning it cannot pass legislation with just its own MPs – the result is a hung Parliament. At this point, the largest party might decide to form a coalition government with another party or operate as a minority government, relying on votes from other parties to pass any laws. The new Parliament will meet on 9 July, when it will elect a Speaker and swear in members. This will be followed by the State Opening of Parliament and the King’s Speech, when the government outlines its priorities for the months ahead, on 17 July.