UK Parliamentary general election Thursday 4 July 2024

A UK Parliamentary general election is to be held on Thursday 4 July with voting taking place between 7am and 10pm. 

Register to vote

Registered voters’ poll cards will sent out around 11 June. If you are already registered to vote and are on the electoral register in South Lanarkshire, you do not need to re-register. 

To vote in this election, eligible voters must be aged 18 or over, have an acceptable form of photo ID and must be registered to vote by Tuesday 18 June. 

You can register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

How can I vote if I am on holiday?

If you know that you won't be able to get to the polling station on election day, and have already registered, you can apply for a postal vote. 

For more information about how to register and the different ways of voting go to our registering and voting page.

Will I need photo ID to vote at the general election?

Yes, to vote in person at the general election you will need an acceptable form of photo ID to show to polling station staff on election day. If your photo ID document has expired it will still be accepted so long as the photo is still a good likeness of you.

Quick guide to voting: Which forms of photo ID can you use to vote in Scotland?

If you do not have an acceptable form of photo ID you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) for free ahead of election day. You must apply by 5pm on Wednesday 26 June to vote at this election.

Quick guide to voting: Applying for a Voter Authority Certificate

How does voting work?

Using the first past the post voting system, the candidate who gets the most votes becomes the MP for the constituency. Voters will put a cross (X) on the ballot paper next to their preferred option. As a result of the recent boundary changes in the South Lanarkshire area, the new constituencies will be known as: 

• East Kilbride and Strathaven 
• Hamilton and Clyde Valley 
• Rutherglen

Some areas of South Lanarkshire are in constituencies which are not administered by this council.

The towns of Carluke, Law, Braidwood and Forth are under the constituency of Motherwell, Wishaw and Carluke which is administered by North Lanarkshire Council.

The majority of the towns and villages within the Clydesdale area are under the constituency of Dumfriesshire, Clydesdale and Tweeddale which is administered by Dumfries and Galloway Council.

Where are the votes counted?

The votes will be verified and manually counted on Thursday 4 July at the John Wright Sports Centre, East Kilbride G74 3EU.

Candidates and Agents

A poll and count awareness session to provide candidates with additional information, will take place on Wednesday 26 June at 5pm in Committee Room 2, Council Offices, Almada Street, Hamilton ML3 0AA and also over MS teams. If you are interested in attending please email elections@southlanarkshire.gov.uk to request a meeting invitation.

More information and statutory notices

• Notice of election
• Statutory notices and information relating to this election 
• Previous results – UK Parliamentary general election 2019
• Rutherglen and Hamilton West by-election results 2023

Useful websites 

• Boundary maps - Boundary Commission for Scotland 
• www.gov.uk
• www.parliament.uk 
• www.electoralcommission.org.uk

Contact us

• Electoral registration office (ERO)- for information on registering to vote, postal and proxy voting arrangements
• Election office - for information on election administration arrangements