Register to vote

Registering is easy and only takes a couple of minutes. To register or check you are already registered visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

This page outlines:

How to register to vote
How to vote by post
How to vote if you have no fixed address
How to register to vote anonymously
How to vote as a student

Make sure that you are not turned away at the ballot box at an election. While you should only need to register to vote once, if you have moved or gone away to university, you will need to re-register.

Individuals are not automatically registered to vote when they turn eighteen, but 16 and 17-year-olds can put themselves on the register so that they will be ready to vote as soon as they turn 18.

If you plan to vote in person, you will need to make sure that the address you will be at on 3 May is the one you are registered for.

Voting by post

You must apply for a postal vote if you want to vote by post, for example if:

you’re away from home
you’re abroad and want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales

Apply for a postal vote

You can apply to vote by post:

for a single election on a specific date
permanently
for a specific period if you want to vote in England, Scotland and Wales

Completing and returning your postal vote

When voting by post, you should:

mark your vote on your ballot paper in secret
fill in the postal voting statement
put the ballot and statement in the envelope provided
seal the envelope yourself

Post your ballot back as quickly as possible to make sure it’s counted.

If you’re too late to post your ballot paper

Take it to your local polling station by 10pm, or Electoral Registration Office before they close.

Change where your postal vote is sent

Make a new application for a postal vote if you move house or you’ll be away from home when the postal vote is sent out.

Voting by proxy

Voting by proxy means getting someone to vote on your behalf.

You can apply to vote by proxy:

for a single election on a specific date
permanently
for a specific period if you want to vote in England, Scotland and Wales

You can only apply for a proxy vote under certain circumstances, including:

being away on polling day
having a medical issue or disability
not being able to vote in person because of work or military service

You need to give the reason why you’re applying for a proxy vote.

In most cases, you need someone to sign your application form to confirm your reasons for wanting a proxy vote. The application form will tell you who needs to sign it.

Change or cancel your proxy vote

To change who acts as your proxy or to start voting in person, contact your local Electoral Registration Office.

If you want to vote by post instead, complete a postal vote application.

(information source: https://www.gov.uk)

Voting if you have no fixed address

If you do not have a permanent address, you can register at an address where you spend a substantial part of your time or have some connection. This could be a previously permanent address, shelter or similar place.

You can register by filling in a form called a ‘Declaration of local connection’. You can download a Register to vote form (no fixed address) from gov.uk.

There are two forms – one for people in England and Wales and one for people in Scotland. Alternatively, you can get the form from your local electoral registration office.

Find the contact details for your local electoral registration office.

People wishing to register in Northern Ireland should download the declaration of local connection form from the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website.

You can read more detailed information relevant to you below.

A patient in a mental health hospital

If you have been admitted as an in-patient at a mental hospital or similar place then you can register at your hospital address if you have spent sufficient time there to be regarded as resident. If you are only in hospital a short time then you could still register at what would otherwise be your permanent home.

You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

You can also register at an address where you used to live before you became a patient. You can do this by filling in a form called a ‘Declaration of local connection’. . You can download a Register to vote form (no fixed address) from gov.uk.

There are two forms – one for people in England and Wales and one for people in Scotland.

Alternatively, you can get the form from your local electoral registration office.

Find the contact details for your local electoral registration office.

Homeless

If you do not have a permanent home then you can register at an address where you spend a substantial part of your time, whether during the day or night. This could be a shelter or any place where you sleep or spend a large part of your day.

You can do this by filling in a form called a ‘Declaration of local connection’. You can download a Register to vote form (no fixed address) from gov.uk.

There are two forms – one for people in England and Wales and one for people in Scotland.

Alternatively, you can get the form from your local electoral registration office.

Find the contact details for your local electoral registration office.

A merchant seaman

If you are not resident in the UK because of your job as a merchant seaman then you can still register at your usual address where you would otherwise be living when you were not working.

Alternatively, if you normally stay at a hostel or club which provides accommodation for merchant seamen when you are not at sea, then you can register at that address.

You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Part of the gypsy or travelling community

If you are staying at a site for a reasonable length of time then you can be considered as living there and can register for that address. You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

If you do not have a settled address where you can be considered to be living then you can register either at the place where you spend most of your time or at the place where you most have a local connection.

You can do this by filling in a form called a ‘Declaration of local connection’. You can download a Register to vote form (no fixed address) from gov.uk.

There are two forms – one for people in England and Wales and one for people in Scotland.

Alternatively, you can get the form from your local electoral registration office.

Find the contact details for your local electoral registration office.

Living on a boat or other movable residence

If you live on a boat, houseboat or similar residence which has a fixed or permanent mooring then you can register at that address.

You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

If you do not have a permanent mooring then you can register either at a place where you spend most of your time or have some connection. This could be the place where you were last permanently registered or, for example, a boatyard that you use for maintenance.

You can do this by filling in a form called a ‘Declaration of local connection’. You can download a Register to vote form (no fixed address) from gov.uk.

There are two forms – one for people in England and Wales and one for people in Scotland.

Alternatively, you can get the form from your local electoral registration office.

Find the contact details for your local electoral registration office.

A person remanded in custody

If you have been remanded in custody (but not convicted) and are detained in a prison or similar place then you can be registered at that address if you have been detained long enough for you to be considered a resident there. If you have only been in custody for a short time then you can register at the address where you would normally live if you were not in custody.

You can register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

If you are a longer-term remand prisoner then you can also choose to register for an address where you would be living if you were not a prisoner on remand or at an address where you used to live before you were remanded in custody.

You can do this by filling in a form called a ‘Declaration of local connection’. You can download a Register to vote form (no fixed address) from gov.uk.

There are two forms – one for people in England and Wales and one for people in Scotland. Alternatively, you can get the form from your local electoral registration office.

Find the contact details for your local electoral registration office.

Registering to vote anonymously

You may be able to register anonymously if you are concerned about your name and address appearing on the electoral register because you think that it could affect your safety, or the safety of someone in the same household as you.

How does registering to vote anonymously work?

When registering to vote, your name and address are ordinarily added to the electoral register.

This means any person can view that register and certain people and organisations are entitled to be supplied with it.

Registering to vote anonymously is different

If you register anonymously, your name and address will not appear on the public electoral register. You will still be able to vote.

The Electoral Registration Officer at your local council (or the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland) will not disclose your details to anyone unless they are legally required to.

How do I register to vote anonymously?

To register to vote anonymously you need to:

Complete an application form
Explain why your safety – or that of someone in the same household as you – would be at risk if your name and address were on the electoral register.

You also need to submit evidence to support your anonymous registration.

There are two options for evidence you can use. You only have to do one of them.

1. Provide a court document that is for your protection or someone in your household. A range of different court documents can be used.

View the full list of court documents that can be used to support your application

2. Get an authorised person to sign your form confirming that your safety, or that of someone in your household, could be at risk if you don’t register anonymously. This is known as an ‘attestation’.

View the full list of who can sign your form for you

Anonymous registration form

Here are the forms to use to register to vote anonymously.

Download the anonymous registration form for people in England or Wales (PDF)

Download the anonymous registration form for people in Scotland (PDF)

In Northern Ireland you should download a form from the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland website.

If you have any questions about registering to vote anonymously, you should contact your local electoral registration office. They will be able to help you with the registration process.

(source: The Electoral Commission via https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/)

Students

Students may be entitled to register at both their home address and their university address, but can only vote once to the same elected chamber or position.

If your home and university addresses are in two different local authority areas, you can vote in local elections in both.

However, even if you are registered in two areas – at home and at university – you can only vote in one at a general election.

It is a criminal offence to vote twice in a UK general election.

The final decision on a registration rests with the electoral registration officer that you are trying to register with. You should contact your local council for further information.

(source: The Electoral Commission via https://www.yourvotematters.co.uk/)