Registered voters unable to vote in person at a polling station in the House of Keys General Election on the 22 September are encouraged to apply for an advance vote.
Advance votes enable electors to cast their votes before polling day, at a time and venue agreed with the constituency returning officer. This can be done on or off Island, provided it is within the British Islands (United Kingdom and Crown Dependencies).
Advance votes should not be confused with proxy votes, where a voter appoints someone else – a proxy – to vote on their behalf. Applications for the appointment of a proxy will only be accepted if the person is unable to vote in person on polling day and also unable to cast a vote as an advance voter.
The advance vote process and new rules for the appointment of proxies are part of changes introduced by the Representation of the People (Amendment) Act 2015 and the Representation of the People Regulations 2015.
Advance and proxy vote application forms are available online at www.gov.im/elections, from constituency returning officers or from the Cabinet Office, 3rd Floor, Government Office, Bucks Road, Douglas.
Completed application forms for advance votes should be forwarded to returning officers:
- By Friday 16 September 2016 for voters who wish to cast an advance vote within the Isle of Man
- By Monday 12 September 2016 for voters who wish to cast an advance vote elsewhere within the British Islands
Students who are registered to vote but who will be off Island on polling day may apply to cast an advance vote. Those at university/college in the British Islands may choose to have a ballot paper delivered to the term time address and arrange to vote in the presence of a certified member of the faculty or university/college administrative staff.
Applications for the appointment of a proxy must be received by the Electoral Registration Officer on or before Friday 16 September 2016.
More information, including full details of the advance and proxy vote process, can be found in the publication ‘A Guide to Voting’ available in hard copy on request or online.
Further information regarding the House of Keys General Election can be found at www.gov.im/elections , or by contacting elections@gov.im or telephoning 685754.