How to Vote

voting=easy

The ballot paper is very straightforward.

You have one vote, which is used to elect a list of MEPs who will represent the whole region

Simply vote for the party you prefer - put an X in the column next to that party's name. That's it, job done!

Each region has a certain number of MEPs dependent on its population size. Parties put up a list of candidates and then win seats roughly in proportion to their share of the vote.

The ballot paper will be the same across your region. The regions are:

South West; South East; London; Eastern; East Midlands; West Midlands; North West; Yorkshire and Humber; North East; Scotland; Wales; Northern Ireland.

We have produced a mock up of the ballot paper in many regions, so you can get a better idea of what to expect when you go the polling booth, or receive your postal ballot.

The versions here are based on information from before the official close of nominations, so they don't include all the party lists as yet. It is simply to give you an idea of what the ballot paper will look like. A full list of the parties standing in your region can be seen here.

Sample Ballot papers:

London region; West Midlands region; North West region

You can also read more about the process of voting on the Electoral Commission's website

NB. In Northern Ireland, there is a different voting system, the single transferable vote. You vote by ranking the candidates in order of preference.