UK Polls Today: Closing Times And How To Vote

Today, Thursday 07 May 2026, will see voters across the country flock to the ballot box.

In England, voters will have their say in close to 5,000 seats across 136 councils.

Parliamentary elections are also taking place in Scotland and Wales, though there will be no elections in Northern Ireland until May 2027.

Here’s some crucial facts you need to know about the polls today – including some dos and don’ts.

The polls have been open since 7am and will close at 10pm tonight, Thursday 7 May.

You will be able to cast your vote after 10pm if you were in the queue to vote before that point.

You can get an emergency proxy vote if you are unable to make it to the polls today due to urgent circumstances you couldn’t have foreseen by the regular proxy vote deadline (usually six days before the polls open).

Emergency proxy applications close at 5pm on 7 May.

That means you can get another person you trust to vote for you in person.

Some reasons to get an emergency proxy vote include:

• A medical emergency,
• Being away for work,
• Lost, stolen, or damaged ID that became missing or got damaged after the deadline to get a Voter Authority Certificate passed. This applies to polls that require ID,
• Acting as a medical companion to someone receiving medical care (Scottish Parliament elections only),
• Needing to change your existing proxy (Scottish Parliament and council elections only),
• Being detained in a mental health institution in relation to criminal proceedings (Scottish Parliament and local council elections only).

If you think you may qualify for an emergency proxy vote, the Electoral Commission said you should contact your local electoral registration office in Scotland or the electoral services team at your local council in England or Wales.

They offer PDFs for various circumstances on their site.

Firstly, you do have to be registered to vote. The deadline to sign up for these elections has passed, but if you’re not sure whether you can vote or not, you can check here.

If you are registered to vote, you should have been sent a polling card. You don’t have to bring this with you, though the BBC said this can speed things up.

You can only vote in your local polling station, which you can find here. However, voters in four parts of England – Cambridge, North Hertfordshire, Milton Keynes, and Tunbridge Wells – will be able to vote in other places as part of a pilot which hopes to make voting easier.

You don’t have to use a photo ID when voting in person for the Scottish Parliament or Senedd, but you do when voting in person in the English local elections.

Acceptable forms of photo ID include:

• A passport,
• A driver’s licence,
• A Blue Badge,
• An identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram,
• Older or Disabled Person’s bus passes,
• A 60+ Oyster card,
• Armed Forces Veteran Cards.

“You only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version, not a photocopy,” The Electoral Commission said. They added that you can still use your photo ID if it’s out of date, so long as it looks like you. The address on your ID does not have to match your current address.

You’re encouraged not to take a picture inside the polling station. This could risk the secrecy of your vote and that of other people.

In fact, if you reveal how someone else voted, even by accident, you risk a £5,000 fine and up to six months in jail.

You can usually take a picture outside the polling station, though.

You also cannot discuss politics inside a voting station.

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