Two important deadlines anyone voting in the general election 2024 should know about

There is now just over a week to go until Brits take to the polls to cast their votes in a general election on July 4.

Anyone who is over 18 and on the electoral register can vote, as long as they are a British citizen, a Commonwealth citizen who meets the residency requirements, or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland with an address in the UK.

The deadline to register to vote passed on June 18 and more than 600,000 applications to vote were submitted on the final day, government figures show.

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More than 2.7 million applications to vote were submitted between May 23, the day after Rishi Sunak called the election, and June 18.

Registered voters can vote in a number of ways. Most people attend a polling station in person, but you can also vote by post. The deadline to register for a postal vote passed on June 19.

This week, there are two more deadlines coming up that you should be aware of if you are planning to vote in the general election on July 4.

Deadline to register for a proxy vote - June 26

Another option, if you are unable to vote in person is voting with a proxy. Voting by proxy involves asking someone else to vote on your behalf if you are unable to attend a polling station on polling day.

Unlike with postal votes there are some criteria which you must meet to be allowed to apply for a proxy vote. These include you being away on polling day, being registered as an overseas voter, having a medical issue or disability, or not being able to vote because of work or military service.

You can apply for a proxy vote online but you only have until Wednesday, June 26, at 5pm. However, you can also apply for an emergency proxy vote until 5pm on election day in certain circumstances.

Your proxy voter must be someone who is both registered to vote and allowed to vote in that type of election.

Deadline to register for voter authority certificate - June 26

All voters intending to cast a ballot in election will not only need to be registered but also show a form of photo identification at the polling station. Not all types of photo ID will be accepted, but a passport, driving licence or blue badge are valid.

Anyone without the correct identification will need to apply for a voter authority certificate by 5pm on June 26, which can be done online here.

Photo ID rules were brought in as part of the Elections Act 2022, as the government said they were necessary to combat the risk of in-person voter fraud. The requirements were first enforced at last year’s local elections in England.