Register to vote
Find out if you can register to vote, how to register, and when your details will appear on the electoral register.
Register to vote online
You can register online or update your details if you have moved home.
You will need your:
- National Insurance number
- date of birth
Who can register to vote
You can register to vote if you:
- usually live in England
- are aged 16 or over
- meet the nationality and immigration requirements below
You cannot vote until you are 18.
You must also be one of the following:
- a British or Irish citizen
- an eligible Commonwealth citizen, including a citizen of Malta or Cyprus
- an eligible European Union citizen
Commonwealth citizens
You can register if you are a Commonwealth citizen and you:
- have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man
- do not need permission to enter or stay
European Union citizens
You can register if you are a citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, or Spain and you:
- have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands, or Isle of Man
- do not need permission to enter or stay
If you are a citizen of another European Union country, you can register if:
- you had permission to enter or stay by 31 December 2020, or did not need permission
- this status has continued without a break
Permission to enter or stay is a legal immigration status. It is sometimes called 'leave to enter' or 'leave to remain'.
Information you must provide
Each person must register separately.
You will need to provide your:
- National Insurance number
- date of birth
If you do not know your National Insurance number, find your National Insurance number on GOV.UK.
We check your details against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions before adding you to the electoral register.
You must provide the information requested by the Electoral Registration Officer. This is a legal requirement.
Register by telephone
Telephone: 01793 464601
We can start your application over the telephone. You will need to provide your:
- National Insurance number
- date of birth
Register in other circumstances
Special application forms are available if you are:
- living overseas
- a member of the armed forces
- a Crown servant or diplomat
- the dependant of a Crown servant or diplomat
- homeless
- a voluntary patient in a mental health hospital
- registering anonymously
Telephone 01793 464601 for advice about the correct application form.
When your details will appear on the register
You can apply to register at any time.
Your details will appear on the electoral register after we receive your application and successfully verify your identity.
Publication dates depend on when we receive your application. We publish dates for the following year from November.
The annual canvass runs from August to November. Successful applications made during this period will not appear on the register until the December publication.
Electoral register publication dates for 2026
The first date is the qualifying date. The second date is the date we publish the updated register.
| Qualifying date | Publication date |
|---|---|
| 11 December 2025 | 2 January 2026 |
| 9 January 2026 | 2 February 2026 |
| 6 February 2026 | 2 March 2026 |
| 10 March 2026 | 1 April 2026 |
| 9 April 2026 | 1 May 2026 |
| 8 May 2026 | 1 June 2026 |
| 9 June 2026 | 1 July 2026 |
| 10 July 2026 | 3 August 2026 |
| 10 August 2026 | 1 September 2026 |
| 9 September 2026 | 1 October 2026 |
| 9 October 2026 | 2 November 2026 |
More about voting and the electoral register