A general election will take place in the UK on Thursday, July 4 and there are a number of key dates to be mindful of.

In Brighton and Hove people in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, Brighton Pavilion and Hove and Portslade will be voting for who they wish to become their member of Parliament.

A by-election will also take place in Brunswick and Adelaide to elect a new ward councillor following the resignation of Jilly Stevens. Only residents living in the Brunswick and Adelaide ward are eligible to vote in this by-election.

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm.

To vote in the general election and/or by-election, you must be:

  • Registered to vote
  • Age 18 or over on polling day
  • A British citizen, Irish citizen, or a citizen of a Commonwealth country
  • Register to vote by 18 June

People must register to vote by midnight on Tuesday, June 18 if you wish to vote in the upcoming general election and/or by-election.

If not already registered, or if you have recently moved to a new address, visit gov.uk/registertovote.

Postal and proxy voting

If you do not want to vote at a polling station or cannot get to a polling station on July 4, you can apply for a postal or proxy vote.

People must apply for a postal vote by 5pm on Wednesday, June 19 at the latest, but we recommend applying earlier so your postal vote can be sent to you sooner.

You can ask someone you trust to vote on your behalf – this is known as a proxy vote. People should apply for a proxy vote by 5pm on Wednesday, June 26 or change existing proxy arrangements by 5pm on Wednesday, June 19.

Voter ID

Last year, the government brought in new legislation which requires voters to show photo identification when voting at polling stations.

This means people must bring photo ID to vote in the general election and/or by-election.

If you do not have a valid form of photo ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) online. The deadline for the council to receive a VAC application for use at the general election and/or by-election is 5pm on Wednesday, June 26. 

If voting by post, you do not need to provide photo ID.

If you have applied for a proxy vote, your proxy will need to show photo ID of themselves when they vote on your behalf at a polling station.