Electoral Registration

The Register of Electors

The Register of Electors contains details of everyone who has registered to vote. It is used to determine who can vote at elections while the Register is in force. A new Register is published at least once a year, no later than 1st December. A revised version may be published at other times if, for example, major changes are made to the Register in the course of the year. To apply to register or update your details go to:

Register to Vote

The Electoral Registration Officer

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is an official appointed by the local authority to prepare and maintain the Register of Electors. Throughout Scotland (with the exception of the City of Dundee and Fife) councils have appointed the local Assessor as ERO.

Register Updates

The current version of the Register comes into force on or before 1st December each year and is updated on a monthly basis (except during the months of September, October and November) to reflect changes in people’s circumstances as they occur. For example, if you move house and update your details at ‘www.gov.uk/register-to-vote‘ early in March, your name could be added to the Register at your new address on 1 April.

Annual Canvass

The Register is updated monthly between January and September to add new electors and to deal with address changes etc…..

Qualifying to vote

To qualify to be registered to vote you must be resident or deemed resident in the registration area, a British, other Commonwealth, Irish or European Union citizen aged 16 or over.

Commonwealth Countries

Antigua and Barbuda Australia The Bahamas Bangladesh Barbados Belize Botswana Brunei Darussalam Cameroon Canada Cyprus Dominica Fiji Islands The Gambia Ghana Grenada Guyana India Jamaica Kenya Kiribati Lesotho Malawi Malaysia Malta Mauritius Mozambique Namibia Nauru New Zealand Nigeria Pakistan Papua New Guinea Rwanda Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Samoa […]

Overseas Electors & Homeless People

British citizens resident abroad can register to vote by means of an Overseas Elector’s Declaration, provided that …

Service Electors

The following people are entitled to register to vote as service electors: serving members of the armed forces and their spouses or civil partners (for whom the entitlement exists as an alternative to registering as civilian electors if resident in the UK) …..

The Absent Voters List

The Electoral Registration Officer also maintains a list of people who are entitled to vote by post or by proxy. This is known as the Absent Voters’ List.

The Electoral Commission

This public body was set up on 30 November 2000 under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000. It is independent of the Government, not connected to any political organisation and answerable to Parliament.