All you need to know about the general election

As we all know a general election has been called for Thursday 4 July which means people in Blaby District will be asked to vote for a Member of Parliament to represent them in the House of Commons. 

Following boundary changes Blaby District now straddles two constituencies. These are the long-standing South Leicestershire constituency and a new constituency, Mid Leicestershire.

Mid Leicestershire constituency is made up of the former Charnwood constituency with the addition of some wards from Blaby District and Hinckley and Bosworth Borough. These changes will have no effect on the location of polling stations.

It’s important to remember that to vote in the General Election you need to be on the Electoral Register. It takes just a few minutes to apply here: Register to vote. If you have moved home recently you will need to register with your updated address. The deadline is 11.59pm on Tuesday 18 June.

On polling day, Thursday 4 July, you must take along a form of accepted photo ID to be checked at the polling station before you can cast your vote. A separate area will be available at polling stations should anyone wish to have their identity checked in private.

Details of your polling station will be on your poll card. If you have not received your poll card by 15 June use the form on this page: General Election 2024 to contact our Electoral Services team.

Most people will have an accepted form of photo ID as it includes driving licences, passports, a Blue Badge and older people’s bus passes. You can check out what counts as accepted photo ID here: How to vote - Photo ID you will need.

But if you don’t have an accepted form of photo ID you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) here: Apply for photo ID.

If you know you will not be able to get to the polling station on 4 July in person for any reason, perhaps due to a holiday or work commitments, there are ways to ensure you can still cast your ballot. You can apply for a postal vote: Apply for a postal vote. The deadline to apply is 5pm on Wednesday 19 June.

If you won’t be at your home address to receive your postal vote after this date, you can instead apply for a proxy vote: Apply for a proxy vote. The deadline to apply is 5pm on 26 June. The person or ‘proxy’ who casts your ballot on your behalf at the polling station will need to show their own photo ID.

Julia Smith, Acting Returning Officer for South Leicestershire constituency, responsible for announcing the voting count result, said "We want to encourage as many people as possible to use their vote in whichever way it is most convenient to them. Just because you may not be able to get to a polling station in person on 4 July doesn’t mean you cannot vote – there are a number of options available to ensure you can cast your vote and make your political choice count.

"With changes to election procedures, particularly the introduction of photo ID, it can seem that voting has become complicated – but essentially it is a very simple process and all the information you might need is on your poll card and easily accessible online.

"Due to identification checks if anyone is concerned about showing their face at a polling station, because they wear a face covering for example, be assured you can ask to have your photo ID checked in private. You won’t need to give a reason or explain why you’d prefer privacy. Staff will be trained to handle requests for ID to be checked in private, discreetly and with courtesy." 

Julia Smith
Chief Executive of Blaby District Council