Register to vote

Registering to vote is a quick and easy process.

You will need to provide your:

name
date of birth
National Insurance number

Once your details have been checked, you will be added to the Electoral Register.

You need to be on the register in order to vote in elections and referendums.

It is also proof of your identity and is often used by credit reference agencies and mortgage companies when performing back-checks on people applying for credit, for instance.

The Electoral Register

2 versions of the electoral register are produced - the full version and the open (edited) version.

Full Register

The full register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in elections.

The register is used for electoral purposes, such as making sure only eligible people can vote. It is also used for other limited purposes specified in law, such as detecting fraud, calling people for jury service and checking credit applications.

The full register of electors is a public document. You can only inspect it under supervision at the council offices, where you will only be able to make handwritten notes of its contents; by law you are not allowed to use these for any direct marketing purposes.

The full register is supplied to political parties, elected representatives and election candidates, law enforcement agencies and credit reference agencies.

Open (Edited) Register

A second version, the open (edited) register of electors, is also produced. It omits the names of those who have asked us to leave them out.

The open register can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed.

Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote.

For more information about the 2 registers including requesting to be taken off the edited register, please email [email protected] or phone on 0300 126 7000.

Even if you are excluded from the open register, you will still be listed in the full register by law.

Viewing the Register

To view the register, make an appointment by calling 0300 126 7000 and asking for the Elections Team.

Last updated 20 December 2023