Renters, register to vote!

How do I know if I am allowed to vote?

Voting rules are not always easy to understand – your location, age, the type of election, and your citizenship/s all factor in to your eligibility. Luckily our friends at SmallAxe have developed a website called Can I Vote? which will let you know if you are eligible to vote.

Generally speaking, you are eligible to vote if you are:

• Over 18 years old
• A citizen of the United Kingdom, Ireland or a Commonwealth country

To see the complete list of countries eligible to vote click here. 

What are the different ways that I can register to vote?

Your local council manages the list of voters in your neighbourhood, this is known as the ‘electoral register’. The most common way to add your name to the list is to register via the online form or to fill out a physical form and post it back to the council.

Online: Register online via this website.
Post: Fill out a register to vote form and send it to your local electoral registration office
Other: If you need assistance with registering to vote, have questions about the process, or would like to check if you are already registered, you can contact your local council’s electoral registration office using this website.

For an easy to read step by step guide to registering click here. 

I move often / I do not have a permanent address, how do I register to vote?

You can register to vote if you do not have a fixed or permanent address and if you are a renter who is moving frequently.

There is a form you will need to complete where you will nominate a place or address in your local area to which symbolises your location but you do not need to live there. You can fill out the form here.

It is probably easiest to call or contact your council to discuss your options as they will explain how the process works. To find out more about registering without a fixed address online click here. 

How does registering to vote work differently for students?

Most people can only register at one address, but because students often split their time between their ‘term-time’ address and their ‘home’ address, students are allowed to register to vote at more than one address.

Even though you can be registered at more than one address, it is illegal to vote in two places.

We are partnered with the National Union of Students who have more information for students on their website here.

What election is happening this year and when is voting day?

The general election is scheduled for the 4th of July. 

The General Election

This is how the British public decide who they want to represent them in Parliament (also known as Westminster). It’s the type of election that gets the most media attention.

Everyone who is registered gets to vote for one candidate in their local area which is also called a constituency. The person who gets the most votes becomes the ‘Member of Parliament’ or ‘MP’ who will represent that neighbourhood. There are 650 different constituencies in the UK so there are 650 MPs in Parliament. The political party with the largest number of MPs across the UK is then able to form the government. The leader of that political party becomes the Prime Minister.

The deadline to register is Midnight, the 18h of June 2024. 

Here is a great video which explains how the General Elections work in the UK.