Make sure you register to vote by Monday 20 April 2026 to vote in the upcoming local elections
Don’t leave it too late! Make sure you register to vote by 20 April in order to vote in local elections on Thursday 7 May.
Register to vote
You can use this service to:
- get on the electoral register so you can vote in elections and referendums in the UK
- opt out of the ‘open’ register – the version of the electoral register that’s available for anyone to buy
- update your name, address or nationality by registering again with your new details (if you live in the UK)
There’s a different process to register anonymously, for example if you’re concerned about your safety or the safety of someone in your household.
You can check if you’re already registered to vote by contacting your electoral registration office.
This service is also available in Welsh (Cymraeg).
Deadline for registering to vote in the 7 May 2026 elections
Register by 11:59pm on 20 April 2026 to vote in the following elections on 7 May 2026:
- local government elections
- Scottish Parliament elections
- Senedd Cymru elections
- mayoral elections in England
Register online
You normally only need to register once – not for every election. You’ll need to register again if you’ve changed your name, address or nationality.
It usually takes about 5 minutes.
Before you start
You’ll be asked for your National Insurance number (but you can still register if you do not have one).
Find your National Insurance number.
Who can register to vote
You can register to vote up to 2 years before you reach voting age – check the rules around voting in the UK.
If you live in England or Northern Ireland
You must be aged 16 or over to register.
You can register to vote if you’re a British citizen or an Irish citizen.
You can also register if you have permission (or do not need permission) to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man and you’re:
- a Commonwealth citizen (including citizens of Cyprus and Malta)
- a citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain
- a citizen of another EU country, who on or before 31 December 2020 had permission to enter or stay (or did not need permission) and this has continued without a break
If you live in Scotland or Wales
You must be aged 14 or over to register.
You can register to vote if you’re a British citizen or an Irish citizen.
You can also register if you have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or you do not need permission.
If you live abroad
You can register as an overseas voter if you’ve previously lived in the UK and are either:
- a British citizen
- an eligible Irish citizen registering to vote in Northern Ireland
You’ll need to give the postcode of the last UK address you were registered to vote at.
If you’ve never registered to vote, you’ll need to give the postcode of the last UK address you lived at.
Contact your electoral registration office if you cannot remember which address you were last registered at.
You may also be asked for your passport details.
You’ll need to renew your registration to vote from abroad every 3 years.
There’s a different way to register as an overseas voter if you’re:
- registering to vote in Northern Ireland
- registering as a Crown servant or British council employee
- registering as a member of the armed forces
Find out more about voting if you move or live abroad.
Register using a paper form
You can register using a paper form in England, Wales and Scotland.
You’ll need to print, fill in and send the form to your electoral registration office.
There’s a different paper form if you’re registering in Northern Ireland. Return the form to the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI).
Get help registering
You can get help registering from your electoral registration office.
There’s an easy read guide about registering to vote.
After you’ve registered
Your name and address will appear on the electoral register. It will also appear on the ‘open’ register unless you asked to opt out when registering.
You can then:
- vote in person
- apply for a postal vote
- apply for a proxy vote
Information from gov.uk/register-to-vote
