Who can be registered as an elector?

Special provisions apply to different categories of voter, so please read all the notes below for full details of eligibility to register as an elector.

Generally, to be included in the Register of Electors, a person must

• be resident at an address in the Borough on the date of application;
  and
  
• be a British, other Commonwealth or Irish citizen or a citizen of another member state of the European Union; (Commonwealth citizens and citizens of British Dependent Territories can check their eligibility to be registered on the nationalities page)
  and
  
• be 18 years of age or over.

Special arrangements apply to:

• 16/17 year olds - if you will be 18 on or before 30 November next, you should register now so that you will be able to vote in any election on or after your 18th birthday;
• Students who live away part of the time - you should register for both your home address and your college or university address. It is not an offence to be registered twice, but you may only vote once in any election.
• Service voters - you now have the choice of registering as a service voter or as a civilian.  A service registration will last three years and gives you an automatic right to appoint a proxy.
• Homeless persons - they 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 - they 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 - voluntary or detained patients (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.
• Overseas electors - many British citizens living abroad have the right to vote at Parliamentary or European Parliamentary elections held in the UK. For more information contact the Election Services Office.
• European citizens - citizens of European Union member states (apart from Britain and Ireland) may register to vote at local government elections. Separate application may be made to register to vote at European Parliamentary elections; there is no entitlement to vote at UK Parliamentary elections.

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