Register to vote
Register to vote
From 7 May 2024 there will be changes to the voting and candidacy rights for EU citizens. More information can be found on the Electoral Commissions website
Who can register
If you live in England
You must be aged 16 or over.
You can register to vote if you’re a British citizen or an Irish citizen.
You can also register if you have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man - or you do not need permission - and you’re a:
- Commonwealth citizen
- citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain
- citizen of another EU country, if you have had permission to enter or stay - or not needed permission - since 31 December 2020, and this has continued without a break
Register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
You’ll need your National Insurance Number. If you can't find it you can find a lost national insurance number on gov.uk or call the National Insurance Numbers helpline on 0300 200 3502.
If you still can't give your National Insurance number you'll be asked to say why. We may contact you for more information so we can check your identity.
Applying to vote, doesn't automatically add you to the electoral register. We have to check your details first, then you'll get a letter either confirming that you're registered, or asking you for more information.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on the twelfth working day before an election. See Upcoming Elections
Further details on who is eligible to vote can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website
Why you should register
- You must be on the electoral register to vote in all elections and referenda held in the United Kingdom, including local and parliamentary elections.
- By law, you must register to vote or you could be fined up to £80.
- If you are not on the register you may find it harder to get a loan, mortgage, finance agreement, or even a mobile phone contract as the electoral register is used by credit reference agencies as part of their checks.
Students and second homeowners
If you split your time between two addresses, for example if you're a student and have a home address and a term address, or if you own and live in more than one property, you can register to vote at both addresses (as long as they're not both in the same council area.)
At local elections you can vote in both places.
At national elections, like a general election, you can only vote in one place, but you can choose which place you vote in. Voting in more than one place at a national election or referendum is a criminal offence.
Students can find more information on the Electoral Commission
You can register to vote on the government website www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Applying to vote, doesn't automatically add you to the electoral register. We have to check your details first, then you'll get a letter either confirming that you're registered, or asking you for more information.
When you apply, ticking that you want to vote by post or by proxy does not automatically make you one of these types of voters. You will get a separate application form to vote by post or proxy and will remain an elector who votes in person until this form has been completed and returned.