Are schools shutting down for the General Election voting day?

As the date of July 4th approaches, some schools may be facing closure due to the upcoming General Election. This election was called by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak earlier this week and it will be the first time since 1945 that the vote will be held in the month of July. This means that the election will take place during term time and as a result, some schools may need to be used as polling stations by local returning officers.

If your child's school is chosen as a polling station, it may be closed for the day. It's important for the school to communicate with parents and carers of affected pupils, so be sure to keep an eye on your inbox for any updates. If you don't hear anything, it's always a good idea to reach out to the school and confirm whether or not they will be open on July 4th.

It's worth noting that children are allowed in the polling booth, but if you're planning on bringing your little ones with you, just make sure they don't mark the ballot paper. Now, you may be wondering about the rules for voting. In order to cast your vote, you must be 18 years of age or above and fall into one of the following categories: British citizen, qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or Republic of Ireland citizen with a UK address.

On Thursday, Rishi Sunak announced that the General Election would take place on July 4th. If you haven't already, it's important to register to vote in the constituency you currently reside in before June 18th. And remember, since May of last year, voters are now required to show a valid form of photo ID at the polling station. There are 22 acceptable forms of ID, including passports, driving licenses, and certain bus passes.

If you won't be able to make it to a polling station on the day of the election, don't worry. You can still vote by post, as long as you apply by 5pm on Wednesday, June 19th. And the best part is, you don't need to provide a reason for why you're choosing to vote by post (unless you're in Northern Ireland). For more information on how to vote by post, check out our explainer here.

As mentioned before, some schools may be closed on July 4th in order to be used as polling stations. If this is the case, you can also choose to nominate a proxy to vote on your behalf, as long as you are both registered to vote. It's worth noting that the rules for voting by proxy have recently changed, so if you applied for a proxy vote before October 31st of last year, you will need to apply again.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on June 26th, so be sure to get your application in before then. And if you're unsure whether or not you're on the electoral roll, you can contact your local Electoral Registration Office to check. Alternatively, you can enter your postcode into The Electoral Commission's website and they can help you find your local Electoral Services office. They can also let you know if you're registered to vote or not.

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