General Election 2024: When Manchester polling stations will open and close and what counts as valid photo ID

Several key deadlines have passed, including the cut off to be registered to vote in this election. With the countdown on, Manchester City Council has issued a final reminder to people heading to the polls on Thursday. 

Voting will take place in all six of Manchester’s constituencies and across Greater Manchester. These are Blackley and Middleton South; Gorton and Denton; Manchester Central; Manchester Rusholme; Manchester Withington and Wythenshawe and Sale East. 

Polling stations across Manchester will open at 7am on Thursday July 4. These will close their doors at 10pm, and votes will be counted during the night in most cases. 

Acting Returning Officer for Manchester Joanne Roney CBE said: “I’d encourage people who plan to cast their vote at a polling station to check that they’ve got the voter ID they need before setting off. Or if you’ve got a postal vote you’re advised to complete and return it as soon as possible. These elections are hugely important and we don’t want anyone who is eligible to vote in them to miss out.”  

Can I still send a postal vote?

If you have requested a postal vote, it is recommended you send it back when it is completed as soon as possible. If you are unable to post your vote yourself, you should ask someone you trust to send it back on your behalf. 

Postal votes can still be posted back all the way up to and including polling day – Royal Mail carry out a final sweep of post boxes and deliver postal votes to elections staff - as long as they are posted before the final collection time for that postbox. If they are posted after the final collection time, they will not arrive in time to be counted. 

Can I take my postal vote to a polling station?  

Yes, you can. Electors can hand in completed postal ballots to any polling station in the Manchester City Council area on July 4 or at the Customer Service Centre in the town hall extension building, Mount Street entrance, between 9am and 5pm up to and including polling day. Anyone handing in a postal ballot pack will be provided with a form which must be completed to ensure the pack is accepted.  

Which forms of photo ID can I use to vote with? 

Voting rules have changed and now voters in the UK are required to take a form of photo ID to polling stations. This general election will be the first during which this is the law. A full list of acceptable forms of ID, including valid passport and driving licence, can be found through the electoral commission website.