UK Parliamentary General election - Thursday 4 July 2024

Key facts

• A UK Parliamentary General election will take place throughout England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland on Thursday 4 July 2024. Residents across the County will be voting to decide who will be elected as their Member of Parliament for the six constituencies within County Durham.
• The six constituencies within County Durham are -
  • Bishop Auckland
  • Blaydon & Consett
  • City of Durham
  • Easington
  • Newton Aycliffe & Spennymoor
  • North Durham
• The (Acting) Returning Officer (ARO) for County Durham is John Hewitt. He will be responsible for the co-ordination of these elections across County Durham.
• The first-past-the-post voting system, where you vote for a single candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins the election is used at a UK Parliamentary General election.
• Previous election results can be viewed at Election results.
• To take part in the UK Parliamentary General election, you must be registered to vote. You can do this at Gov.uk: register to vote.
• You are required to show photo ID when voting in a polling station. Accepted forms of photo ID include passports, photo driving licences and concessionary travel passes, such as an older person's bus pass. Expired photo IDs will be accepted if the voter is still recognisable from the photo. A full list of accepted photo IDs can be found at Gov.uk: how to vote - photo ID you'll need. If you do not have an accepted form of photo ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate - Gov.uk: apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’).
• If you live in County Durham, you can check your polling station location by entering your postcode at Find your polling station.
• You can vote in person on the day, by proxy or by post. See How to vote for further information. For any other queries, please contact us.

Important registration dates

Notice of Election

A Notice of Election is a notice to inform you that the UK Parliamentary General election is taking place.

• Notice of Election - Bishop Auckland Constituency (PDF) [118KB]
• Notice of Election - Blaydon and Consett Constituency (PDF) [140KB]
• Notice of Election - City of Durham Constituency (PDF) [141KB]
• Notice of Election - Easington Constituency (PDF) [140KB]
• Notice of Election - Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor Constituency (PDF) [141KB]
• Notice of Election - North Durham Constituency (PDF) [141KB]

Statement of Persons Nominated including Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Station

The Statement of Persons Nominated is a notice to inform you of who is standing in each constituency at the UK Parliamentary General election.

• Statement of Persons Nominated with Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations - Bishop Auckland (PDF) [165KB]
• Statement of Persons Nominated with Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations - Blaydon and Consett (PDF) [139KB]
• Statement of Persons Nominated with Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations - City of Durham (PDF) [141KB]
• Statement of Persons Nominated with Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations - Easington (PDF) [134KB]
• Statement of Persons Nominated with Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations - Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor (PDF) [139KB]
• Statement of Persons Nominated with Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations - North Durham (PDF) [141KB]

Notice of Election agents' names and addresses

Agents can act for candidates in the UK Parliamentary General election.

• Notice of Election Agents' Names and Offices - Bishop Auckland (PDF) [87KB]
• Notice of Election Agents' Names and Offices - Blaydon and Consett (PDF) [87KB]
• Notice of Election Agents' Names and Offices - City of Durham (PDF) [92KB]
• Notice of Election Agents' Names and Offices - Easington (PDF) [87KB]
• Notice of Election Agents' Names and Offices - Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor (PDF) [89KB]
• Notice of Election Agents' Names and Offices - North Durham (PDF) [88KB]
• Notice of Election sub-agents - Blaydon and Consett (PDF) [84KB]
• Notice of Election sub-agents - Easington (PDF) [83KB]

Results

UK Parliamentary General election results will be published from Thursday 4 July 2024 from 10.00pm.

N.B This page will be updated once each notice has been published.

The nomination deadline for the UK Parliamentary General election is 4.00pm on Friday 7 June 2024.

If you are a potential candidate or agent, the following information is available:

• The Electoral Commission: Guidance for Candidates and Agents at UK Parliamentary general elections in Great Britain

Nomination packs

Prospective candidates wishing to stand in the following UK Parliamentary General elections in County Durham have until Friday 7 June to submit their nomination: Bishop Auckland, Blaydon and Consett, City of Durham, Easington, Newton Aycliffe and Spennymoor and North Durham.

If you want to stand as a candidate at the UK Parliamentary General election, nomination packs will be available from electoral services by calling 03000 261 212 or by emailing electoralservices@durham.gov.uk, or they may collect a pack from County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL.

Nomination papers can be delivered between 10.00am and 4.00pm to the Acting Returning Officer, County Hall, Durham DH1 5UL between Monday 3 June and Friday 7 June 2024. The deadline for the delivery of nomination papers is 4.00pm on Friday 7 June 2024.

Important dates for candidates

If you want to:

• Gov.uk: apply for a postal vote or
• Gov.uk: apply for a proxy vote by post

the deadline to submit your application for this election is 5.00pm on Wednesday 19 June 2024.

You are now required to provide your national insurance number when applying for a postal or proxy vote.

Proxy voting

If you want someone to vote on your behalf, you can vote by proxy. The deadline to submit your application to vote by proxy at this election is 5.00pm on Wednesday 26 June 2024.

Emergency proxy voting

If you want an emergency proxy, the deadline to apply for is 5.00pm, on Thursday 4 July 2024.

Apply for a proxy or emergency proxy vote

You are now required to provide your national insurance number when applying for a proxy vote.

Gov.uk: apply for a proxy vote 

Polling card

If you have applied to Vote in person or Apply to vote by post before Tuesday 28 May 2024, you'll receive your polling card from Friday 7 June 2024.

If you have applied to Vote in person before Tuesday 18 June 2024 or to Apply to vote by post before Wednesday 19 June 2024, you'll receive your polling card from Friday 21 June 2024.

Postal votes

• If you live overseas and we received your application to vote by post before Sunday 2 June 2024, we will send your postal vote out to you on Tuesday 11 June 2024.
• If you're already registered as a postal voter, or we receive your application to vote by post before Sunday 2 June 2024, we will send your postal vote out to you on Monday 17 June 2024.
• If we receive your application to vote by post between Monday 3 June 2024 and Wednesday 19 June 2024, we'll send your postal vote out to you on Monday 24 June 2024.

We send all postal votes out by Royal Mail.

Please ensure you post your postal vote back as soon as possible to ensure it is delivered in time. If you don't have time to post it back to us, you can hand it in at your local polling station or at County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL.

• The easiest and most convenient way to return your postal vote is by posting it in a Royal Mail post box using the pre-paid envelope provided (envelope B).
• Please allow sufficient time for your postal vote to reach us. It must be received by the Returning Officer no later than 10pm on Thursday 4 July 2024.
• If you are hand delivering your completed postal vote, for example at a polling station or at reception at County Hall, you will need to complete a statutory form. The polling station or customer services staff will help you with this.
• You may hand deliver your own and no more than 5 other postal votes per election.
• If you are a campaigner, you can only hand in your own postal vote, and those of close relatives or people for whom you provide regular care.
• DO NOT attempt to leave your postal vote in any other Council Office post boxes or Customer Access Points as the staff are not authorised to received postal votes and will not be able to provide the required form to complete. Any postal votes received without the required form will be rejected.
• DO NOT leave your postal vote at reception at County Hall or a polling station desk without completing a form as it will be rejected.

New rules mean your postal vote will be rejected if it is not returned correctly - make sure your vote is counted.

Lost postal votes

If you lose your postal vote, you can contact us for a replacement postal vote from Friday 28 June 2024.

Lost polling card

If you lose your polling card, you can still turn up to your polling station to vote on Thursday 4 July 2024.

Polling station opening hours

Your polling station (stated on your polling card) is open from 7.00am until 10.00pm on Thursday 4 July 2024.

You must bring an accepted form for photo ID to the polling station to prove your identity before you can be issued with a ballot paper.

If you live in County Durham, you can check your polling station location by entering your postcode at Find your polling station.

See our Vote in person page for information about voting at polling station.

If you have forgotten to post your postal vote

If you've forgotten to post your postal vote, you can bring your postal vote along to your local polling station until 10.00pm.

Please note you can only hand in own postal vote as well as postal votes for up to five other people. If you are a political campaigner, please note you are only able to hand in your own postal vote as well as postal votes for up to five others who are either close relatives or regularly cared for by yourself. Close relatives include your spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild. Two people living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners are treated as such.

The UK Parliamentary election count will start from 10.00pm on Thursday 4 July 2024 at Consett Leisure Centre, Consett and Spennymoor Leisure Centre, Spennymoor.

For information about the 2024 election results, please visit Election results.