How to Complain About Voting or Election Issues
Electoral registration problems, polling station issues, election petitions. Electoral Commission and court routes.
If you have been incorrectly removed from the electoral register, denied a postal vote, or experienced problems at a polling station, contact your local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) immediately. You have the right to vote if you are registered, and the ERO must resolve registration disputes.
For complaints about election conduct — such as candidate malpractice, misleading campaign material, or irregularities in counting — report to the Electoral Commission. For serious irregularities that may have affected the result, an election petition can be filed with the High Court within 21 days of the result.
If you believe your right to vote has been unlawfully denied, seek legal advice urgently. The courts can grant emergency orders to allow voting where registration errors have occurred.
Key Legislation
- Representation of the People Act 1983
- Electoral Administration Act 2006
Key Deadlines
- Election petition: within 21 days of result
- Registration appeals: 14 days