Elections and voting

25 June 2024

UK parliamentary general election

A UK parliamentary general election will be held on Thursday 4 July 2024.

Nominations have now closed and the following people have been or stand nominated for election as a member of the UK Parliament for the Kilmarnock and Loudoun Constituency

Alan Brown, Scottish National Party (SNP)
Jordan David Cowie, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Bex Glen, Scottish Greens
Lillian Jones, Scottish Labour Party
Stephen McNamara, Independent
William Thomson, Reform UK
Edward Thornley, Scottish Liberal Democrats

Further information can be found on the Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Places (PDF 145KB) and the Election Agents Notice (PDF 34KB)

Candidates for Ayr, Carrick and Cumnock Constituency are

Allan Dorans, Scottish National Party (SNP)
Martin Dowey, Scottish Conservative and Unionist
Paul Kennedy, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Andrew Russell, Reform UK
Elaine Stewart, Scottish Labour Party
Korin Matthew Vallance, Scottish Greens
Corri Wilson, Alba Party: Yes to Scottish Independence

Further information can be found on the Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Places (PDF 164KB) and the Election Agents Notice (PDF 16KB)

Key dates for this election are as follows:

Register to vote - Tuesday 18 June 2024
New postal and postal proxy applications - Wednesday 19 June 2024 (5pm)
Changes to existing postal or proxy votes - Wednesday 19 June 2024 (5pm)
New proxy votes - Wednesday 26 June 2024 (5pm)
Voter Authority Certificates - Wednesday 26 June 2024 (5pm)

For this election you will need to show photo ID at polling stations.

Frequently asked questions

Please see our frequently asked questions about elections and voting for further information on this and important changes to the postal voting system.

Voting in elections

There is now a rolling registration, which means the electoral register is updated every month, however, registration has changed to individual registration.

So, if you've moved house or have been missed from the register, you can get your new details added much quicker, and you can also register online at GOV.UK.

The local Register of Electors can be checked:

in your local library
at Council Headquarters, London Road, Kilmarnock
or you can contact the Electoral Registration Office (Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board)

Once you've registered you can choose to vote by proxy or by post.

Proxy votes

A proxy vote can be granted to anyone who satisfies the local registration officer that he or she cannot reasonably be expected to vote in person on polling day.

Examples include people who:

are on holiday
are ill or in hospital
away on business
have moved house but have not had time to register at their new address and are still on the register at their old address

Proxies may vote by post if they want to.

Postal votes

Postal votes can be set up on a permanent basis, or as a one-off in advance of any election. The video below explains what happens to your postal vote after you send it.

Registration forms

To be registered to vote you must be:

resident or deemed resident in the registration area
a British, other Commonwealth, Irish, European Union citizen or Foreign National
aged 14 or over
not subject to any legal incapacity

You can use the online registration service at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote to register to vote. Alternatively, you can contact the Electoral Registration Office at Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board on 01292 612221 and they can take your details over the telephone and get you registered.

You can vote in Scottish Parliament and local government elections as soon as you are 16 years old. Once you are 18 you can vote in Westminster Parliamentary elections too if you are a British or Commonwealth citizen. If you are not a British or Commonwealth citizen you are not entitled to vote in Westminster Parliamentary elections.

You can download registration forms for the electoral register, proxy votes and postal votes via Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board's website.

Forms should be printed, completed and returned to Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board.

For more information contact the Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board.