On Thursday the 7th of May, people in England, Scotland, and Wales will be able to vote and have their voices heard across various branches of the United Kingdom's legislative governments. In Scotland and Wales, the elections are for the devolved parliaments of each country. In England they are local elections, which determine the local councillors for some district, borough, and unitary authorities, as well as county councils.
But with polls opening at 07:00 and closing at 22:00, what are your options if you are abroad or working and commuting but want to vote?
Registration
The first hurdle you must overcome is registering to vote. Age-wise, you are only eligible to vote in English local elections if you are 18 or over (though this might change) but you can register to vote 2 years before you are 18. For the Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections, you must be 16 years old or over, and you can register at 14.
To register in time for the 7th of May election, you needed to be registered on the electoral roll by the 20th of April, 2026, and for Proxy and Postal voting, you needed to be registered by the 21st April and the 28th of April for Proxy voting.
You can even register to vote anonymously.
Proxy and Postal Voting
If you are eligible and registered to vote but are unable to attend in person, your two options are proxy or postal voting.
- Postal voting does not require a reason to be requested (Northern Ireland has different rules). You give your details and address, and a voting pack is sent to you. After filling out the included ballot paper and postal voting statement, you seal both in the included envelope and post it, making sure to leave enough time for it to be delivered by post.
- Proxy voting has various prerequisites before you can apply, including being away on the day of voting, being registered as an overseas voter, medical or disability reasons, or due to work or military service. Anyone can act as your proxy voter, but they must be registered to vote, allowed to vote in the specific type of election, and can attend the same polling station that is indicated on your poll card.
While these deadlines have passed, it is useful to know for any future elections.
In-Person on the Day
When planning your election day where you want to work and vote, try to decide if you will be voting before, after, or on a break during work hours.
If you've checked if you need to bring an accepted photo ID, make sure to take it with you, such as a passport or driver's license. You can use any accepted photo ID, even if it is out of date if; the name is the same one you used to register on the electoral roll, and the photo still resembles you. The address on the ID does not need to be current either!
Once you are at your polling station, you will be asked for your name and address, as well as your ID if applicable. You are then given a ballot slip which shows your voting options. Follow the instructions on the slip and you are done.
Did you know that if you arrive at the polling station before 10pm and there's a queue, you are allowed to join, and the station will remain open until everyone who was in the queue before 10pm has voted!
Employers
The polls are open for most of the day and there are many alternative ways to vote, there is no legal requirement for an employer to offer any time off or accommodations for an employee to vote. However, they may make exceptions, offer flexible hours or paid/unpaid leave, if possible.
Elections are good examples for businesses, showing that workplaces and scenarios rarely fit a perfect pattern for time keeping. If you manage a shift-based team, you need to have a system that can handle potential issues such as:
- Inaccurate time and attendance data
- Shift swapping or impromptu clock-ins
- Blockers and problems with manager approvals or payroll
- Unintended headcount or skill gaps on shift
A system with structured approval workflows, clean and accurate data, and minimal manual changes gives you reduced admin time and a fair accounting of hours worked. Tensor can help. A Tensor system can give you this solution, with granular control over your shift patterns, accurate clock-in time data, and a streamlined approval workflow that makes real-world problems easier to manage.