Elections and voting

15 March 2024

Voting in elections

There is now a rolling registration, which means the electoral register is updated every month, however, registration has changed to individual registration.

So, if you've moved house or have been missed from the register, you can get your new details added much quicker, and you can also register online.

The local Register of Electors can be checked in your local library, at Council Headquarters, or you can contact the Electoral Registration Office (Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board) to check.

Once you've registered you can choose to vote by proxy or by post.

Proxy votes

A proxy vote can be granted to anyone who satisfies the local registration officer that he or she cannot reasonably be expected to vote in person on polling day. Examples include those on holiday, those who are ill or in hospital, people away on business and people who have moved house but have not had time to register at their new address and are therefore still on the register at their old address. Proxies may vote by post if they want to.

Postal votes

Postal votes can be set up on a permanent basis, or as a one-off in advance of any election. The video below explains what happens to your postal vote after you send it.

Registration forms

To be registered to vote you must be:

resident or deemed resident in the registration area
a British, other Commonwealth, Irish, European Union citizen or Foreign National
aged 14 or over
not subject to any legal incapacity

You can use the online registration service at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote to register to vote. Alternatively, you can contact the Electoral Registration Office at Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board on 01292 612221 and they can take your details over the telephone and get you registered.

You can vote in Scottish Parliament and local government elections as soon as you are 16 years old. Once you are 18 you can vote in Westminster Parliamentary elections too if you are a British or Commonwealth citizen. If you are not a British or Commonwealth citizen you are not entitled to vote in Westminster Parliamentary elections.

You can download registration forms for the electoral register, proxy votes and postal votes via Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board's website.

Forms should be printed, completed and returned to Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board.

For more information contact the Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board.