By post
You no longer have to have a reason to vote by post. If you decide that you do not want to go to the polling station at the time of an election your ballot paper can be sent to you at home or to an address of your choice. You can download the postal vote application form, remember to tell us how long you want this postal vote for.
Ballot papers can also be sent out of the country, however, they will only be sent out one or two weeks before an election, therefore, in order to ensure your vote is counted you may prefer to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. It should also be noted that postal votes must be returned by the close of polling hours on the day of an election to be included in the count. Any received after that time will not be included.
You can apply for a postal vote on the Postal vote application form.
By proxy
You can apply for someone to vote for you. This person is called a 'proxy'. You will have to give a reason why you cannot vote in person, such as disability or employment and your application may need to be supported by your doctor or employer. If you are a student the rules have been changed to allow you to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. Please email us for a long term proxy vote application form: elections@scilly.gov.uk.
Proxy voting for one election only
You may need to vote by proxy for a particular election only. You can apply for a proxy vote for the reasons below only after an election has been announced.
- You are elderly.
- You have been called away on business.
- You are ill.
- You have to visit a sick relative.
- You have been sent away on a course.
- You are a member of staff working at a polling station.
- You are on holiday
You can apply to vote by proxy on the Proxy vote application form.
