Outreach service - get help registering to vote
Our outreach service helps residents who might otherwise find it difficult to register to vote in the normal ways.
Outreach workers support residents who might otherwise find it difficult to register to vote in the normal ways. They also work with groups of people in the city who are less likely to be registered to vote.
Those less likely to be registered include:
- older people
- young people
- students
- people in care
Sometimes people are not registered because they don’t understand the process, or don’t see information that is sent out by post or email.
How the outreach team can help
Outreach support is provided free to housebound and disabled residents and to others who can’t register to vote using the usual channels.
If you need help to register to vote, please contact us by emailing electors@brighton-hove.gov.uk or calling 01273 291999.
Home visits to help with registration
Outreach workers use iPads to register residents in their own homes, checking identity in person and making registration quicker. They can also arrange a postal vote at the same time if required.
Help with postal or proxy voting arrangements and form filling
If you have a problem filling in forms or getting them into the post, we can take details over the phone or arrange a home visit to help. We can help you to fill the forms in or collect signed forms once completed.
We cannot arrange transport to polling stations or act as proxy for residents.
Checking if extra support is needed
Sometimes we can waive the requirement for forms to be signed if the resident can’t give a consistent signature because of health problems. We can also arrange to collect completed postal votes from housebound residents and return them for counting.
Care homes for older people
The outreach team works with care homes to make sure residents have the opportunity to register to vote
The team can help care homes meet the legal requirements for electoral registration and voting under the Health and Social Care Act (2008). Information about these requirements can be found in the Care Quality Commission guidelines for supporting involvement in the community.
The Care Home Handbook (PDF 1.56mb) was developed in consultation with practitioners in the city.
Care Homes can ask the outreach team to
- visit and register residents
- arrange absent votes and signature waivers
Care homes can
- confirm the identity of their residents
- make a statement of incapacity where registering might cause distress
- send us resident information in an agreed electronic format instead of in a household enquiry form
Staff in care homes
Staff in care homes can help residents register and to cast their vote. If you are worried about registering to vote, please talk to the staff in your care home, or contact the electoral services team by emailing electors@brighton-hove.gov.uk or calling 01273 291999.
Paper versions of registration forms
- Care home voter registration welcome pack (PDF 205KB)
- Voter registration forms
- Applying to vote by post
- Applying to vote by proxy
Forms for care home workers
Confirming the identity of a care home resident:
Declaring incapacity to vote:
- Declaration of incapacity to vote form (PDF 108KB)
- Declaration of incapacity to vote form (MS Word 32KB)
Inability to provide consistent signature
- Inability to provide consistent signature form (PDF 109KB)
- Inability to provide consistent signature form (MS Word 32KB)
Other residential care establishments
The outreach team can provide help with the electoral canvass, as well as practical help to register residents of hostels, adult social care homes and supported living schemes.
Please contact the team by emailing electors@brighton-hove.gov.uk or calling 01273 291999.
People living in residential care can register to vote in the same ways as everybody else. You can find out more about voting at the Electoral Commission website.