Vale of Glamorgan Council
Cyngor Bro Morgannwg
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Electoral Services

Information and guidance about electoral services in the Vale of Glamorgan. 

 

Your Electoral Overview

Please enter your postcode in the box below to find out your local polling station, polling district and councillors:

 

1:  Elections & Referendums

Getting things ready for you to vote.

 

Did you know?

There are several different types of election:

  • General/UK Parliamentary
  • Senedd Cymru/Welsh Parliament
  • Police & Crime Commissioner
  • Referendum
  • By-Election for County or Town/Community Council
  • Local Government

Each Election gives you the opportunity to vote for a person or political party who will make positive changes effecting your everyday life.

 

Each Referendum gives you the opportunity to have your say on a particular question raised.

 

To help you have your say we will:

  • send poll cards to all residents who are registered and entitled to vote
  • publish any relevant notices so you are aware of what is going on
  • send postal ballot papers to all electors who have requested to vote by post
  • organise the polling stations and station staff
  • count the votes after Poll Day and declare the results
  • ensure that the election/referendum process is run fairly and transparently as per the standards set by the Electoral Commission. The Electoral Commission is the organisation that monitors our performance

2: Electoral Register

Making sure you are on it.

 

Did you know?

Being on the Electoral Register is a good idea because it helps with:

  • mortgage applications
  • mobile contracts
  • loan applications
  • being called for Jury Service
  • credit rating/score
  • ability to vote

We all have to be on the register by law but it is your choice to vote.

 

To keep the Electoral Register up to date we will:

  • ensure anyone who wishes to vote but cannot make it to a polling station on Poll Day can vote by post or through someone else.  This is called voting by proxy.
  • check to make sure people are not on the register twice by mistake
  • remove people who have moved out of the Vale of Glamorgan or have sadly passed away
  • opt people out of the Open Register if they ask us to.
  • make sure we have every property in the Vale of Glamorgan on the register and to add any new properties
  • checking spellings and details so the register is complete and accurate.

3: Annual Canvass

Contacting you so you stay up to date.

 

Did you know?

Legislation requires us to contact your property every year to confirm your Electoral Register information/status.

 

You should let us know if you:

  • move home
  • move to student accommodation
  • opt in or out of the Open Register
  • change your name
  • reach 76 years of age and over
  • would like to change the way you vote

We won't know unless you tell us so don't be afraid to call and check!

 

To help keep you up to date we will:

  • send an annual Canvass Communication Form to every property in the Vale of Glamorgan, then send a reminder to those who have to respond
  • update the register from all returned forms
  • send our visiting officer or a member of the canvass team to any home that has not responded to the enquiry form
  • publish the new up to date register every December

4: Polling Stations

Where and How you can vote.

 

Did you know?

There are 101 polling stations across the Vale of Glamorgan allowing you to cast your vote in person.

You can also vote via:

  • Post
  • Proxy (someone else voting for you) 

We will evaluate the polling stations every 5 years making sure they are:

  • accessible for everyone
  • safe and well maintained
  • easily located
  • Am I entitled to register?

    To be added to the Electoral Register you must be:

    • Over 14 years of age
    • A British, Irish, Commonwealth, or legally resident Foreign National
    • Resident in the UK at time of application

     

  • Who is not entitled to register?

    You're not entitled to register if you are:

    • a child under 14 or a foreign national not legally resident
    • a convicted person in prison, detained in a mental hospital, person found guilty of certain corrupt or illegal practices
    • a person who has made a Service Declaration, Declaration of Local Connection or an Overseas Declaration

     

  • How do I register for the Electoral Register?

     

    How To Register

  • Am I already registered?

    You can find out by calling 01446 729 552 or email:  electoralregistration@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk

    A paper copy of the register is also available to view in the Main Reception at the Civic Offices, Holton Road, Barry, CF63 4RU.

  • What evidence can I provide, to credit agencies, to prove I am on the Electoral Register?

     

    When you are verified to be added to the Electoral Register you will receive a confirmation letter from the Electoral Registration Office. This is proof that you have been recently added to the Electoral Register and is automatically generated from the application system.

    You can also request a Certificate of Registration from the Electoral Registration Office which will state the first date you were added to the Electoral Register. This is proof that you have been on the Electoral Register for a specific period of time.

  • I am a member of the armed forces. How do I register? OR I am a Crown servant or British Council employee.  Can I register?

     

    You can apply as a non-service voter if you have a permanent home address in the UK and want it to be on the electoral register

     

    GOV.UK - Register to Vote

     

    Alternatively if you don’t have a permanent home address in the UK and you are a member of the armed forces or the spouse or civil partner of someone in the armed forces you can register as a service voter.

     

    GOV.UK - Register to Vote (armed forces)

     

     

    If you are likely to be posted abroad as:

    • a Crown servant (for example diplomatic or overseas civil service)
    • a British Council employee*
    • the spouse or civil partner of a Crown servant or British Council employee

     

     

    GOV.UK - Register to Vote (crown servants & british council employees)

     

     

    *British Council employees include:-

    • British Council
    • Cabinet Office
    • Crown Prosecution Service
    • Defence Support Group
    • Department for Business, Innovation and Skills
    • Department for Education
    • Department for International Development
    • Department for Transport
    • Department of Energy and Climate change
    • Department of Health
    • FCO Services
    • Food Standards Agency
    • Foreign & Commonwealth Office
    • HM Treasury
    • Ministry of Defence
    • Ministry of Justice

      

  • I am a British citizen and live aboard.  Can I register?

     

    You can register as an overseas voter for up to 15 years after leaving the UK as long as

     

    • you are a British citizen
    • you were registered to vote in the within the previous 15 years

     

    You will need to renew your registration every year.

     

     

    GOV.UK - Register to Vote

     

     

  • How can I register to vote if I don't have a fixed address?

    If you are homeless you can still register to vote even if you don’t have a fixed address.  Please contact us and we can provide the relevant form.  The form asks you for an address where you want to be registered.  This can be anywhere in the local authority area where you spend a substantial part of your time or have some connection with, for example, a previous permanent address, a shelter or a park bench.  You will be assigned to a polling station near to this address to vote on polling day.  The form also asked for an address where you can be sent correspondence and your poll card, alternatively you can opt to pick this up from your local authority.

     

    Contact Us

  • What do I need to do if I move house?

    Once you have moved register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote using your new address. The application form will ask you if you have lived anywhere else in the last 12 months. When it does, put your old address that you have just left.

     

    That's all you need to do.  The system will tell us that you have moved.

    If you have moved out of the Vale of Glamorgan then it will inform us and your new local authority.

  • I am over 76 am I still eligible for Jury Service?

    No you would not be eligible. When you supply your date of birth we will update our system to show if you are 76 or over. You will not be selected once this updated on the register.

  • What is the Open Register?

    Please visit our Open Register page for more information:

     

    Open Register 

  • I'm trying to trace a relative in the Vale of Glamorgan, can the Electoral Registration Office help me?

    If you ring the office we are not able to give you information about other people because it goes against our Data Protection policy. However there is a paper copy of the current full Register of Electors at the Civic Offices, Holton Road, Barry, CF63 4RU.

     

     

     

     

    The Electoral Register is available for public inspection under supervision by appointment only, please contact us on 01446 709748 or email electoralregistration@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk to book.

     

    The document is arranged in polling district order and the names of electors (people) appear in alphabetical street order. Due to there being no surname search facility it is very difficult to find someone if you do not know where they are living within the Vale of Glamorgan.

     

    Please be aware you will not be able to photocopy or photograph any part of the register.

  • Can I register anonymously?

     

    You can register to vote anonymously.  Instead of your name and address appearing on the electoral register, a code will be added to the register.

    You can request to register anonymously if your safety (or the safety of someone in the same household as you) would be at risk if your name and address appeared in the electoral register.  For example if you are escaping violence or have a job that puts you at risk from other people. 

    To register to vote anonymously you must supply documentary evidence of a court order or an attestation from an authorised person to support your application.

    To register to vote anonymously please contact us.

     

     

    Contact Us

 

 

Terms
Absent Voter

An absent voter is someone who votes but not in person at a polling station.

Therefore they either:

1) Vote via post

2) Vote via proxy (they send someone to the polling station in their place)  

3) Vote via postal-proxy (they nominate someone to complete their postal vote for them)
Canvass The term Canvass describes a process we use to contact people in their homes. We target non responding homes and we send a member of staff in the hope we can speak to the person living there. We have a duty to make sure that everyone has the choice to vote if they want to. Sometimes this is hard because we don't hear back from people or people move home and forget to register. Therefore, we visit homes as well as sending letters.
Election An election is a process in which (electors) elect (choose) a person or group of people to hold an official position. 
Elector An elector is a person who has the right to vote in an election.
Electoral Register

The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections.                                                        
Canvass Communication Form

Two types of canvass communication forms will be sent out annually. 

CCF A - This is a green form for information only and will only require a response if the information is incorrect.

CCF B - If you receive this pink form, we are not sure if the information that we currently hold is up to date. Therefore a response is required. 
 IER

This abbreviation stands for Individual Electoral Registration. This is the name of the voter registration system.  Under IER each person is now required to register to vote individually rather than by household.
 IER DS This abbreviation stands for Individual Electoral Registration Digital Service. This is the name given to the service that supports the process of verifying the identity of applicants by checking their personal details against the national databases and returning the results to the Electoral Registration Office.
 ITR Form This abbreviation stands for Invitation To Register Form. This is an application form that you need to complete to be added to the Electoral Register.
Open Register

The Open Register used to be called the Edited Register.

It is an extract of the Electoral Register that can be bought by any person or organisation for marketing purposes.
Opt Out The term Opt comes from the full word Option. Opt Out means you have the option (choice) to come out of something. In this case, you have the option to have your details taken off of the open register which is the register that can be purchased for marketing purposes.
Postal Postal is a term used to describe a person's vote that is received in the post i.e A Postal Vote.
Proxy Proxy is another way of saying 'representing someone else'. For example, if you wanted someone to place your vote for you then they would be representing you. This means they are your proxy.
Waiver If you want to vote by post or proxy but are unable to write your signature due to a disablility or if you are unable to read or write you can apply for a waiver.

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