How do I register to vote in the 4 July 2024 general election?
Don’t miss the chance to have your say in the vote to choose the next UK government
Who is eligible to vote in a general election?
In the event of a general election in the UK, you must:
- Have signed up to vote by June 18 at midnight.
- Be at least eighteen on election day.
- Hold a British, Irish, or eligible Commonwealth nationality.
- Possess a valid UK voter registration or be a British citizen residing overseas.
- Not be legally barred from voting, such as peers in the House of Lords or inmates serving a sentence for a conviction.
Being included on the electoral register is also required.
What is the process to register to vote?
Voter registration closes on June 18 at 11:59 p.m.
You can fill out the applications online. In the event that you are a British national residing overseas and wish to cast a ballot in England, Scotland, or Wales, you might require information from your passport and national insurance number.
You just need to sign up once. However, if your residence, name, or nationality have changed since your initial registration, you will need to re-register.
Once you are sixteen, you can register to vote in both England and Northern Ireland. Once a person turns 14, they can register in Scotland and Wales. But you have to be 18 years old to cast a ballot in a general election.
You should get in touch with your local electoral registration office if you are unsure if you are eligible to vote. If you reside in England, Scotland, or Wales, you can use this tool to find the address. You must get in touch with the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI) if you reside in Northern Ireland.
Does voting require a fixed address?
No. If you don’t have a stable address or are homeless, you can still register to vote. There are more forms to complete; the guidelines are available here. Additionally, you qualify if you are a patient at a mental health facility or if you have been placed on remand in detention but have not yet been found guilty of a crime.
If I have lived overseas for more than 15 years, am I eligible to vote?
Indeed. For the first time, British nationals residing overseas, regardless of the length of their stay, are qualified to vote.
After decades of advocacy by the now-deceased Harry Schindler and later by British in Europe, the law was modified in January; nonetheless, voters must register by midnight on June 18 at gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Over 100,000 people have registered to vote since January, according to the Electoral Commission, however estimates suggest that up to 3 million British citizens permanently reside abroad.
Even if an applicant has never voted before, they must still submit information about their address and the date and time of their last registration or residency in the UK.
In Great Britain, applications to vote by proxy or by mail can now be submitted online.
The deadlines are 5 p.m. on June 19 for postal voting and 5 p.m. on June 26 for proxy voting, which allows someone else to cast your ballot in person.
Enter the postcode of your previous UK residence to see information about your previous local authority on the Electoral Commission website.
Must I present my ID?
Indeed. In several elections, including the general election, voters in the UK must now present picture identification at the polls in order to cast their ballot. The following is a list of recognised photo ID formats, which comprises:
- Passports
- Driving licences
- Older or disabled person’s bus passes
- Oyster 60+ cards
Further details about eligible photo ID in each country of the UK are available on the Electoral Commission’s website.
You can apply for a voter authority certificate, which is a free document, if you are registered to vote but lack the proper photo ID or your photo no longer matches. The application deadline is June 26 at 5 p.m., and you can submit it online or by mail using this form.
After this cutoff, you can request for an emergency proxy vote until polling day at 5 p.m., but only in the event that your ID has been misplaced, stolen, or destroyed, that you are ill, or that you must travel for work.
The electoral identity card is accepted by voters in Northern Ireland.
I’m a student. Where do I register to vote?
You can register to vote as a student at both your home address and your address during term time. But keep in mind that casting more than one ballot in a general election is prohibited. You may choose that voting in one location is preferable over another for tactical reasons; for instance, your academic address may be in a safe seat while you often reside in a marginal seat, or vice versa.
How do I vote if I’m unable to do so in person in Wales, Scotland, or England?
If you are unable to cast your ballot in person on election day, you have two options: mail in your ballot or use a proxy. You must already be registered to vote and listed on the electoral roll in order to apply for a postal or proxy vote.
Proxy voting
Voting by proxy allows someone to cast a ballot in your place. Anyone who is eligible to vote in the same kind of election and is registered to vote may serve as your proxy.
In England, Scotland and Wales, you need to apply for a proxy vote by 5pm on 26 June to vote in the general election. There are different forms to fill in depending on the reason you want the proxy vote, which can be:
- You’ll be away.
- You’ll be at work.
- You’ll be attending a course.
- You’re disabled.
- You’re living overseas.
- You’re serving overseas as a member of the armed forces.
You’re a British Council employee or crown servant (for example, working in the diplomatic or overseas civil service).
Voting by post
Anybody who is eligible to vote in an election may request a postal vote. There’s no need to explain. By 5 p.m. on June 19, 2024, if you reside in England, Scotland, or Wales, you must complete this form and mail it to your local electoral registration office.
Voting in Northern Ireland through mail or proxy
To vote in Northern Ireland via mail or proxy, go to the guidelines provided by the EONI.
On June 13, 2024, this article was revised. In a previous version, it was stated that “voters in England” would now have to present a photo ID at voting places during general elections; in reality, this is a UK-wide requirement.
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