Electoral register

Eligibility criteria

You can register to vote if you are:

Resident (usually live) in England and aged 16 or over (but you will not be able to vote until you are aged 18). You must also be either:

• A British citizen or Irish citizen
• A Commonwealth citizen (including Maltese and Cypriot) who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who does not need permission
• A European Union (EU) citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, or Spain who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who does not need permission
• A European Union (EU) citizen of any other EU country who on or before 31 December 2020 had permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who did not need permission, and this has continued without a break.

The EU citizens described above can vote in local elections, including for the Mayor of London and London Assembly elections only.

Students 

Students may register at both their home address and their college or university address. It is not an offence to register twice, but it is an offence to vote more than once in the same election.

Special Category Electors

Special arrangements apply to the following categories:

British citizens living abroad can vote at UK and European Parliamentary Elections but not local government elections.

It is important to note that you must apply to the last council with whom you were registered before moving abroad.

If you were too young to register when you left the UK, your parent or guardian must have been registered.

Service personnel and their spouse have the choice of registering annually as an ordinary voter, or by way of a service declaration. Service declarations last for five years.

Crown servants or British council employees working outside the UK can still register to vote. The spouse of a crown servant or British council employee accompanying them during their employment abroad can also register under these arrangements.

Homeless people may register at the address or place where they spend a substantial part of their time either during the day or at night.

Remand prisoners may register at the institution where they are currently resident or at the address they would have been resident or have previously lived.

Mental health patients, either voluntary or detailed (but not those detained for criminal activity) may register at the institution where they are currently resident or at the address they would have been resident or have previously lived. 

Anonymous registration

Some people can apply to be entered anonymously on the register of electors. Although the register of electors is in alphabetical street order and not name order, there are some people who feel that being on the register of electors could affect their safety. Such as those escaping from domestic violence, or whose occupation would mean they must keep their identity private. 

If you feel that you are at risk by your name appearing on the register of electors you can apply to be entered anonymously and if your application is accepted, your name and address will not be shown. Any person living with you can also apply to be registered to vote in this way. 

Gaining anonymity

Applications for anonymous registration must be accompanied by either documentary evidence (a court order) or an attestation. Recent legislation changes have widened the list of qualifying officers able to grant attestation. 

The regulations extend the list of eligible documents to include specified Northern Ireland orders for the protection of certain people at risk. The legislation also ensures that any eligible document from any court in the UK is now capable of being submitted in support of an application for anonymous registration made in any part of the UK.
 
You will need to complete a form giving the reason for needing to be registered anonymously. You are required by law to provide documentary evidence in the form of a court order or injunction. If you do not have either of these you are required by law for your application to be supported by one of the following people: 

• A police officer of or above the rank of superintendent in any police force in the UK.
• Director General of the Security Services or the Serious Organised Crime Agency.
• A Director of Adult Social Services or Children's Services in England, a Director of Social Services in Wales, a Chief Social Work Officer in Scotland, a Director of Social Services or an Executive Director of Social Work in Northern Ireland.  

The qualifying officer does not have to be based in the same area as you, but the attestation cannot be delegated to a more junior person within their organisation.