Voting if you have a disability
We believe voting at elections should be accessible to everyone. Having a disability does not mean you aren't eligible to vote.
Registering to vote
You can register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. The process is quick and easy but you will need your National Insurance number to hand to complete your application.
Alternatively, you can download the registration form and print it. Large print and easy-read versions are also available.
Completed registration forms should be posted to the Electoral Services Team at:
Electoral Services
Sunderland City Council
City Hall
Plater Way
Sunderland
SR1 3AA
The accessible easy read webpages below will show you how you can register to vote in any elections local to you.
About registering to vote - My Vote My Voice
How to register to vote - My Vote My Voice
We have British Sign Language video available below on
If you need help registering to vote, or wish to have us complete a registration application on your behalf, you can contact us on 0191 5205550 or at elections@sunderland.gov.uk
Accessibility voting at a polling station
Each polling station should be accessable, or have a ramp or a separate entrance, so that everyone can access it. If you do experience any problems getting into your polling station, a member of staff can come to assist you and can bring your ballot paper to you, if necessary.
Once inside the polling station, there are clear instructions on how to vote, in both written and picture formats. Polling Station staff are trained to offer impartial guidance and maintain a stress free environment throughout the day. There are also a number of additional ways in which an elector can receive support. Please speak to a member of staff if you require any of the following:
- Tactile Voting Device (which attaches to a ballot paper to allow blind or partially sighted voters to mark their ballot paper with or without assistance)
- Large Print Ballot Paper (as a reference for partially sighted voters)
- Ballot Paper Magnifier (a hand held device which allows an elector to magnify any part of a regular-sized ballot paper)
- Assistance from a companion (or the Polling Station's Presiding Officer who can join an elector in the polling booth and help them mark the ballot paper*)
- other voting aids such as pencil grips
*We encourage electors to bring a trusted companion to the Polling Station to assist them in voting if they would like to do so. If you require assistance marking your ballot paper, your companion and/or the Presiding Officer will need to sign a form before you can cast your vote. This is to ensure a formal record is kept of any occasion where a voter has been accompanied into the polling booth.
The accessible easy read webpages below will show you how you can vote in person
How to vote in person - My Vote My Voice
Voter ID and how to apply for the Voter ID Certificate - My Vote My Voice
We have British Sign Language videos available below on
Voting by post or by proxy
If you are not able to attend your polling station on the day of the election to vote in person, you can apply to vote by post or by proxy instead.
For further information visit our Ways to Vote webpage.
The accessible easy read webpages below will show you how you can vote by post or by proxy
How to vote by post - My Vote My Voice
How to vote by proxy - My Vote My Voice
If you're a carer or support worker and need more information about how you can offer support and assistance, see the online information for carers published by the organisation Every Vote Matters.
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