StuartO Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 We will be abroad on June 23rd, so I made enquiries about how I could still vote, which turned out to be using the proxy system, ie getting someone else to call at the Polling Station to cast you vote for you. You can also vote by post but the postal voting slips aren't distributed until shortly before the date of the Referendum, so that was no good for us. If you have someone you can trust to use your vote as you wish in your local area (it needn't be a relative) you can vote by proxy instead. The person you appoint as proxy must be entitled to vote themselves, so over age 18 etc. Your proxy will be sent your voting papers as well as their own and they can simply go along to a Polling Station to vote as normal, using both sets. (They can also apply to vote for you by post if they prefer.) It's quite simple for you to appoint a proxy. You download an application form from here: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/177405/FORMS-Particular-Election-Proxy-MAY16.pdf then fill it in and sign it. Your OH needs a form too. Then you can either post it to your local electoral registration office or scan it and email it to them. The application applies to one voting occasion only, so you are not handing over your vote for ever. You can find out the address (and email address) of your local electoral registration office by entering the postcode of your home here: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/ The deadline for applications for proxy votes for the Referendum is 5pm on June 15th, so you still have plenty of time - except that if the proxy you appoint wishes to use a postal vote, the application for that has to be in by 5pm on June 8th. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 StuartO - 2016-05-09 9:55 AMWe will be abroad on June 23rd, so I made enquiries about how I could still vote, which turned out to be using the proxy system, ie getting someone else to call at the Polling Station to cast you vote for you. You can also vote by post but the postal voting slips aren't distributed until shortly before the date of the Referendum, so that was no good for us. We are in the same position - although so far I have been unable to penetrate the firewall of " button pressing telephonic alternatives " our local council have set up.( Some of the music they play to me is quite nice - but even that is continually interrupted with ' important ' messages ).( I have also tried e-mail but had no reply so far ).I understand that in 'normal' elections, where candidates are involved, they wait as long as possible to ensure that all candidates are included - but I'm sure they must know by now what the EU referendum question will be. It is surely IN or OUT. - so postal voting forms could surely be sent out at least a month ahead of June 23rd. ;-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 malc d - 2016-05-09 11:02 AM I understand that in 'normal' elections, where candidates are involved, they wait as long as possible to ensure that all candidates are included - but I'm sure they must know by now what the EU referendum question will be. It is surely IN or OUT. - so postal voting forms could surely be sent out at least a month ahead of June 23rd. ;-) Its so that you can endure/enjoy Desperate Dave's scaremongering right up to the last moment :D ....... BTW if anyone wants to trust me with their proxy vote? ;-) ........ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 pelmetman - 2016-05-09 12:32 PM malc d - 2016-05-09 11:02 AM I understand that in 'normal' elections, where candidates are involved, they wait as long as possible to ensure that all candidates are included - but I'm sure they must know by now what the EU referendum question will be. It is surely IN or OUT. - so postal voting forms could surely be sent out at least a month ahead of June 23rd. ;-) Its so that you can endure/enjoy Desperate Dave's scaremongering right up to the last moment :D ....... Maybe they can't decide on the question to ask ? I can't use proxy voting as I have no friends. :-( Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Solwaybuggier Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Not 100% sure, but I think the proxy has to be able to go to the polling station where you would cast your vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gocro Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 The holder of the proxy can only use it for two people. We are getting our postal vote sent to us in Spain, as we want to remain in Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
malc d Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 gocro - 2016-05-09 4:30 PM The holder of the proxy can only use it for two people. We are getting our postal vote sent to us in Spain, as we want to remain in My problem - and I suspect a lot of other peoples - is that I will be touring, so we have no postal address to give them. :-| Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laimeduck Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Solwaybuggier - 2016-05-09 4:20 PMNot 100% sure, but I think the proxy has to be able to go to the polling station where you would cast your vote. This is correct - Your Proxy has to vote IN YOUR polling Station, they cannot do it in theirs. We made our daughter our Proxy, but then she found that she was away herself on polling day..... so she has applied to our Authority to do a postal vote for us as Proxy. This was accepted. I was also told that the Postal voting cards don't come out until a week before the election date, so having them sent to you abroad for posting back could be problematic in time terms for those considering this method ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted May 9, 2016 Author Share Posted May 9, 2016 This is a copy of the response I got when I asked how i could preserve my right to vote while on holiday: Dear Sir We have 2 cut off dates, for the printers to print and produce special postal packs relevant to each specific voter we have already sent our initial data for our 15000 existing postal voters and this means those who were marked as a postal voter at that point will receive a postal pack around 1st June. The legal deadline for applying to vote by post or cancelling an existing arrangement is 5pm on 8th June so on the 9th June we will send another data file for those who have applied from 25th April to 8th June and these later postal voter additions will get their postal packs around Thursday 16th June. Obviously neither of these dispatch dates will help you and your wife so you have the option of choosing to appoint a proxy instead which has a later deadline of 5pm on 15th June, unless you already had an existing arrangement in place and then it has to be changed/cancelled by 5pm on June 8th. A proxy is where you can appoint someone to go to the polling station and vote on your behalf. Note they also have to be on the Register of Electors, in order to be a proxy. I have attached a form that you can print off twice and both complete and then either return via scanning and emailing ... Or posting back to ...[us]. Unfortunately Printers need lead in times to produce the packs which are specifically barcoded for each voter. Hope this explains the situation.… Note that if you apply for a proxy for this Referendum, the proxy will apply for the Referendum only and you will revert to normal voting for the next election which comes along. If you are normally a postal voter you will however have to reapply for a postal vote, since applying for a proxy automatically cancels your postal vote. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cattwg Posted May 9, 2016 Share Posted May 9, 2016 Solwaybuggier - 2016-05-09 4:20 PM Not 100% sure, but I think the proxy has to be able to go to the polling station where you would cast your vote. I was told by our Local Council that we can set up a proxy vote. That person can then set up a postal vote if he so wishes. Cattwg :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ham Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 I have already set mine up. You have to you fill in one side and sign it, the proxy fills in the other side and signs it, you then send the form/S back to the election office.we choose postal votes so our proxy just ticks the box and post back to election office. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith T Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 We are in a similar situation to those above, in that we shall be touring on the important dates. Having researched it, clearly we couldn't use any form of our normal postal votes. Fortunately I eventually enlisted the help of the local Electoral Office, who guided me through the questions which was a lot easier than the website. Having completed the forms for my wife and I, we sent them off, arranged with our 'proxy', and if they cant get to OUR polling station, which I would think could often be the situation, they can in turn register for a postal proxy vote!! Given the simple (!??) question on the ballot paper, and as yes/no answer, I have to agree with the earlier comments that the actual paper could easily have been sent out on the postal vote system well before the referendum date. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Basil Posted May 11, 2016 Share Posted May 11, 2016 gocro - 2016-05-09 4:30 PM The holder of the proxy can only use it for two people. We are getting our postal vote sent to us in Spain, as we want to remain in I believe you will find this is incorrect. The proxy can vote on behalf of close relatives AND up to two others who are not relatives. Our daughter will vote for us as we are out of the country, she will also vote for her husband who is working abroad now and for a further three months, so she will vote for three of us. Bas Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pagey Posted May 12, 2016 Share Posted May 12, 2016 hi my wife phoned our local council epping essex and she was told the postal voting papers were being posted out on may 27 to everybody that had requested one so you may be better off phoning your council and asking for a postal vote regards pagey Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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