Registering to Vote

Adding your name to the Electoral Register

You can add your name to the register by completing the Voter Registration Form, which is available to download on the right. A guide on how to complete a voter registration form and registering to vote FAQs are available to download on the right

If you would like a form sent out by post, please contact Electoral Services using the contact details on the right.

When you’ve completed your form, please return it to the address on the right.

The two versions of the Register

The electoral registration officer makes and keeps two versions of the electoral register – the full register and the edited register.

The full register

The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote. You can check it by calling at the council offices or at some local libraries. Only certain people and organizations can have copies of the full register, and they can only use it for specified purposes. These include electoral purposes, the prevention and detection of crime and checking your identity when you have applied for credit.

The law says who can have a copy of the full register and what they can use it for. The full list of such persons and purposes is given in the Representation of the People (England and Wales) ( Amendment) Regulations 2002. It is a criminal offence for them to pass it on to anyone else or to use it for any other purpose.

The edited register

The edited register leaves out the names and addresses of people who have asked for them to be excluded from the version of the register. The edited register can be bought by anyone who asks for a copy and they may use it for any purpose.

What happens next?

When we receive your completed application form, we will process it and send you a letter of acknowledgement. There is a five day objection period where an elector can object to your name being added to the register of electors. If this happens we will inform you.

Provided that there is no objection, your name will be added to the Electoral Register from the next effective date.

Please view the Monthly Revision Dates PDF on the right to see when the monthly alterations to the register will be published.

Register to vote in the European Parliament Elections

To register to vote in the European Parliament Elections for EU nationals please complete the European Parliament Voter Registration Form on the right.

Please note: EU nationals must be be already registered on the Register of Electors, before you can register to vote in the European Parliamentary Election. If you are not already registered, you can download a Voter Registration Form on your right. For more information please contact Electoral Services.

When you’ve completed your form, please return it to the address on the right.

How to Vote

For more information on voting and how to vote, please visit the How to Vote page on the left.

Other forms available on request for special category electors

You can still register to vote even if you do not have a fixed address.

This may be because you are:

• a homeless person
• a patient in a mental health hospital
• a person remanded in custody

To register, you need to fill in a form called a 'Declaration of Local Connection'. These forms are available on request from Electoral Ser vices.

A declaration may be made at any point in the year, and will be valid for up to 12 months from the date of entry in the register, but may be cancelled at any time by the declarant.

For more information on the criteria for registering as a Homeless person, a patient in a mental heath hospital or a person remanded in custody, please download the Declaration of Local Connection Fact Sheet on the right.

Overseas Electors

If you are a British citizen living outside the United Kingdom for longer than six months of the year you may be able to register as an overseas elector. This will enable you to vote at parliamentary and European parliamentary elections in the UK.

To register as an overseas elector you must be a British citizen and meet one of two sets of conditions:

either

• your name was previously on the electoral register for an address in the UK
• there are no more than 15 years between the qualification date of that register and the date on your application to register as an overseas elector.

or

• you have reached the age of 18 whilst living abroad
• you were too young to be on an electoral register before you left the UK
• a parent or guardian was on that electoral register for the address at which you were living on that date

To obtain an application form to register as an oversea elector, please contact Electoral Services using the contact details on the right.

Service Voters

Members of the armed forces may register to vote at their home address just as a normal civilian elector or as a Service Voter. Service Voters are entitled to vote in Local, Parliamentary and European Parliamentary Elections in the UK.

To obtain an application form to register as a Service Voter, please contact Electoral Services using the contact details on the right.

Crown Servant or British Council

Crown Servants (such as British Embassy workers), British Council employees and members of the Armed Forces who are posted overseas can vote in all elections.

To obtain an application form to register as a Crown Servant or British Council, please contact Electoral Services.

Large print, Braille, other languages

If you require forms in large print, Braille or other languages please contact Electoral Services using the contact details on the right.

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Page updated: 28 Apr 2009