London local elections 2022: how to vote in person, by post, or by proxy - and deadline to register

The local elections in London are happening today, with 1,817 seats available, and over 6,000 candidates all vying for a seat.

The last local election in 2018 was a great one for Labour, who secured 44 percent of the city wide votes, securing 21 out of the 32 boroughs in the process.

With every vote going to count in the first local elections since the Coronavirus pandemic, and amid the cost of living crisis, here’s how you can vote in London, including proxy votes and more.

When is the local election vote?

The vote for the local elections in London is on Thursday, 5 May 2022. Polling stations all over the country will open for voting at 7am and close at 10pm.

How do I vote in person?

The deadline to register to vote in person was 14 April 2022, meaning if you did not register before the deadline, you will be unable to vote in the election.

You vote in person at a polling station. Just before the election, you will be sent a poll card telling you when to vote, and which polling station to vote at, it is important to note that you can only vote at the polling station on your poll card.

You can still vote even if you have lost your card, and in England, you do not need to bring any identification with you to vote.

How do I vote by post?

If you wanted to vote by post, you had to apply for a postal vote, with the deadline passing on Tuesday, 19 April.

If you vote via post, you should have:

• Marked your vote on your ballot paper in secret.
• Fill in the post voting statement.
• Put the ballot and statement in the envelope provided.
• Make sure that you seal the envelope yourself.

Also ensure that you post your ballot back as soon as possible, ensuring that it is counted on time.

If you’re too late to post your ballot paper, you can take it to your local polling station, as long as it is before the 10pm deadline.

If when voting by post your ballot paper is damaged, you can ask for a replacement from your local electoral office.

How do I vote by proxy?

If you’re unable to vote in person, you can ask someone else to vote on your behalf, this is known as a proxy vote.

In England, you can only vote via proxy if you meet certain criteria, and this is:

• Being away on polling day
• Having a medical issue or disability
• If you’re at work or military service

The UK government website says that you should choose the person voting on your behalf to be someone you trust, as you’ll need to tell them which candidate you wish to vote for.

The deadline to vote by proxy is on Tuesday, 26 April 2022 at 5pm but you can apply for an emergency proxy vote until 5pm on the day of the local election.

Anyone can act as a proxy as long as they are registered to vote, are allowed to vote in the type of election coming up, and can vote in the polling station stated on the poll card.