How to vote

Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.

What to expect at a polling station

There will be notices inside and outside the polling station.

These will be:

• how to vote at this election – pictorial and written guidance
• accessible voting for all

There will also be a poster outside with information about tellers. Tellers are people from political parties who count the number of people voting.

When you go inside the polling station, there will be notices on the wall, including:

• posters of the ballot paper
• the names of the streets at the polling station – this will help you check that your street name is on the list
• information about what voter identification can be used – this applies only to UK Parliamentary elections
• no photography
• no smoking

Each polling booth will have information about how many people you can vote for on the ballot paper.

Taking someone with you

If you have a disability, you can take someone into the polling station to help you vote. The person helping you must be of the legal age to vote.

Additional equipment in polling stations ​

As far as reasonable and practicable, accessibility needs of electors have been considered. We will provide equipment and reasonable adjustments, including:

• disabled parking and ramps for easy access
• wheelchair access booths and voting booth positioned in such a way to capture best lighting
• chairs for people who cannot stand for long periods
• an accessibility voting pack which contains pencil grips, large copies of the ballot paper, tactile voting devices for people with a visual impairment, large magnifiers and any other equipment where possible to improve accessibility

You can use any disability aids that you usually use, such as a mobile phone app, to assist with voting.

Watch the video: New accessible voting aid in Scotland

The video gives an example of what to expect, but not every polling place will be the same. Some may not have staff greeting voters at the door or coloured overlays available.

You can also read a step‑by‑step example of how accessible voting aids can be used at a polling station.

Spoken ballot papers

Spoken ballot papers are available to help voters understand the ballot paper before polling day.

They provide an audio version of the ballot paper for specific constituencies and the South Scotland Region.

Spoken ballot papers for the Scottish Parliament election, 7 May 2026

In addition, you can also call 030 33 33 3009 to listen to the ballot papers being read.
 

Ask for additional support

If you would like to make a request before polling day for any additional support or reasonable adjustments not listed, please contact us:

Telephone: 01387 260039
Email: [email protected]