Voting

Age requirements

• In England and Northern Ireland, you must be 16 or older to register to vote.
• In Scotland and Wales, you must be 14 or older to register to vote.
• You must be 18 or older to vote in a general election.

How to register:

• You can register to vote online.
  • It only takes about 5 minutes.
  • And you can do it on your mobile phone.
•  You can download a form to register to vote and post it to your local authority.

Can I vote if I am homeless?

• Yes, you can still vote if you are homeless or do not have a permanent address.

How to register:

• Use the form for registering to vote with no fixed address.
• You can find the form online for England, Scotland, and Wales.
• Send the completed form to your local electoral registration office.
• You can find the address of your local electoral registration office online.
  • They can help you if you have trouble understanding or completing the form.

What information do I need to provide?

• Your address or details of a place where you spend most of your time.
• This address should be in the area where you will be voting.

What you need to vote at a polling station:

• You need to show photo ID to vote in elections and referendums at a polling station.
• Accepted IDs include:
  • Full or provisional driving licence
  • UK or EU passport
  • Blue Badge
  • Voter Authority Certificate

If you don't have accepted photo ID:

• Apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if:
  • You do not have accepted photo ID.
  • You no longer look like the photo on your ID.
  • You have a different name on your ID than the one on the electoral register.
• You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate online.

More information:

• Check the government website for a full list of acceptable IDs.

How to apply for a postal vote

• You must be registered to vote.
• You can apply for a postal vote online.
• You do not need to show photo ID to apply for a postal vote.
• Complete and send the form to your local electoral registration office.

If you are too late to post

• Take your postal vote to your local polling station by 10pm on the election day.

What is proxy voting?

• Voting by proxy means someone else votes on your behalf.

When can I apply for a proxy vote?

• If you are away on election day.
• If you have a disability or medical condition.
• If you are registered as an overseas voter.
• If you cannot vote because of work or military service.

How to apply:

• Apply for a proxy vote online.

Proxy voter requirements:

• Your proxy must be registered to vote.
• They need to bring their own photo ID to the polling station.
  • But they do not need to bring yours.

Further resources

• Crisis: How to Register to vote if you're homeless.
• The Electoral Commission.
• My Vote My Voice.