Q&A: NI assembly election

The Northern Ireland electorate will go to the polls on 7 March. But who can vote and what if you are not in the country, or have moved house? The Electoral Office answers these, and other frequently asked questions.

The electorate will be going to the polls on 7 March

Who can vote at this election?

You can vote at this election if you are listed on the 2 February 2007 electoral register and are 18 years of age or over. Overseas electors cannot vote at this election.

Where do I go to vote?

Contact the electoral office to find out the location of your polling place or have a look at your poll card which will contain this information.

What identification can I use?

Any one of the four photographic ID documents specified by law.

These are: a current Northern Ireland or Great Britain full driving licence or a Northern Ireland provisional licence, all of which must bear the photograph of the holder; a current passport issued by the United Kingdom or any other member state of the European Community; a current Senior SmartPass issued under the Northern Ireland Concessionary Fares Scheme; a current electoral identity card.

I have moved address and the address on my identification is my old one. Can I use it?

Yes. The identification document only has to satisfy the presiding officer of your identity, not your address.

I got married recently. What ID document can I bring as everything is in my maiden name?

If you bring your marriage certificate, which shows both your maiden and married names, along with one of the four specified ID documents, the presiding officer will accept these as proof of your identity.

When will I get my poll card?

Poll cards are posted out approximately 10 days before the election.

You can vote for as few or as many candidates as you wish, although the PR process is more effective if you express a preference for as many of the candidates as you can Electoral Office

Do I need my poll card to vote?

No. The poll card provides you with details of where you need to go to vote. As the card also states your electoral number, it is helpful if you take it with you when you go to vote, but you can vote without it.

Can I submit an absent vote application on behalf of someone else?

No. Each applicant has to provide personal identifiers and sign the application form personally. All these identifiers are checked against those provided on their original registration form.

When will I receive my postal vote?

Postal votes have been issued from 21 February onwards and must be returned to the deputy returning officer before the close of the poll at 1000 GMT on 7 March.

The votes will be counted on Thursday and Friday

Is there disabled access at my polling station?

Please contact us to check the access arrangements at any particular location.

I have a visual impairment. How can I vote?

You have three options. You can: ask the presiding officer at the polling station to mark your ballot paper for you; or ask to be assisted by a companion; or use the selector device which has embossed markings and braille numbering.

Can someone go in with me to help me vote?

By law, a companion or the presiding officer at the station may assist a voter with disabilities.

This covers those who are incapacitated by: blindness or visual impairment; other physical cause; or literacy difficulties.

How do I vote at this election?

This election uses the Single Transferable Vote (PR) method.

This ensures that there is the widest possible representation of the views of the electorate in that all their preferences are taken into consideration during the counting process.

You can vote for as few or as many candidates as you wish, although the PR process is more effective if you express a preference for as many of the candidates as you can.

You must put a "1" against your preferred candidate, a "2" against your second preference, and so on for as many or as few candidates as you wish.

When will the count be held?

Each constituency count will begin on Thursday 8 March and will continue until it ends either that evening or the following day.

It is unlikely counting will continue overnight.