Register to Vote in the United Kingdom: To register to vote online, you need just five minutes and your National Insurance number. Every legal UK resident or student must have a National Insurance.
If you cannot register online, you can download a paper form (Opens in new window).
You don’t need to register to vote before every election.
Update your details
If you move house, you should register to vote again.
If you change your name for any reason, you can either:
- contact the electoral services team at your local council and request a change of name form
- register to vote again
WHY YOU NEED TO BE ON THE UK ELECTORAL REGISTER
By law, you must be on the Electoral Register if you are eligible to be on it
as well as enabling you to vote at national and local elections, it is a way for you to get a credit rating from Credit Reference Agencies. If you’re not registered, it may impact you when applying for things like mortgages and mobile phones. This is because credit agencies use the register to validate applications.
Why should you Register to vote?
- You have a proof of address registered in the UK government electoral register and you can always amend this when you move to a new location
- It gives you a say on important issues that affect you – from roads and recycling, to education and climate change.
- Voting gives you a say on who represents you in your local council, in the UK Parliament and in Europe
- Elections can be called at short notice – if you’re not registered you can’t vote.
- If you’re a student living away from home, you can register where you live at University or College as well as your normal home address providing they are not in the same local authority area
- If you don’t register, you can’t vote! – It’s as simple as that. To vote in any UK elections, you have to be on the electoral register.
- People across the world have died fighting for the right to vote and be part of a democracy. In the UK, in the early 20th century, people were killed during their struggles to get the vote for women.
- Black people were not allowed to vote in South Africa until the end of apartheid in 1994. Today, many people across the world are still denied the right to vote. By voting you are showing your support for people who have had to fight hard for democracy.
WATCH VIDEO HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE UK
Register to vote: Qualifying Foreign Citizens
Commonwealth Citizens:
To qualify, Commonwealth citizens must be resident in the UK and either have leave to remain in the UK or not require such leave. Commonwealth citizens include those of British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories. Also note that you must be 16 years above to qualify to register and vote in the UK.
List of Commonwealth Countries Qualified to Vote are:
Antigua and Barbuda, Kenya, Samoa, Australia,Kiribati, Seychelles,The Bahamas Lesotho Sierra Leone, Bangladesh, Malawi, Singapore, Barbados, Malaysia, Solomon Islands, Belize Maldives, South Africa, Botswana, Malta, Sri Lanka, Brunei.Others are; Darussalam Mauritius, Swaziland,Cameroon,Mozambique,United Republic of Tanzania, Canada, Namibia, Tonga Cyprus, Nauru Trinidad & Tobago Dominica, New Zealand, Tuvalu Fiji Islands, Nigeria,Uganda,The Gambia, Pakistan, United Kingdom,Ghana,Papua, New Guinea,Vanuatu,Grenada,Rwanda,Zambia,Guyana,St Kitts & Nevis,Zimbabwe, India, St Lucia
Jamaica,St Vincent & The Grenadines
ALSO READ: HOW TO UPDATE & CHECK YOUR DBS PROFILE IN THE UPDATE SERVICE
Forms of ID Used To Vote in The UK
You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable. You can use any of the following:
- Passport
- Driving licence (including provisional licence)
- Blue badge
- Certain concessionary travel cards
- Identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
- Biometric Immigration document
- Defence identity card
- Certain national identity cards
HOW TO REGISTER TO VOTE IN THE UK
If you meet the requirements above click on this link: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote scroll down and click on the START NOW button to fill in your details into the electoral register. Ensure your National Insurance Number, accurate date of birth, residential address plus postcode are added correctly. After registration expect a letter from the authority from the post in your address to know the next steps to take. This letter will be sent within three days of your application online.