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Register to vote

How to register to vote in local and national elections.

Changes to voting and candidacy rights for EU citizens - Elections Act 2022

Changes effective after 7 May 2024.

In England, the general right of European Union (EU) citizens to register, vote, and stand in UK elections will be removed, except for certain groups:

  • 'qualifying EU citizens' - Citizens from EU countries with reciprocal agreements with the UK, currently Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, and Spain
  • 'EU citizens with retained rights' - EU citizens from other EU countries ( with which there isn’t a reciprocal agreement ) who were legally resident in the UK before 31 December 2020.

Note: Citizens from Ireland, Malta, or Cyprus will retain their voting rights in all UK elections while resident in the UK.

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) at Westminster City Council will:

  • review the eligibility of EU citizens as part of an Eligibility Confirmation and Review (ECR) process.
  • inform 'Qualifying EU citizens' and 'EU citizens with retained rights' of their continued eligibility to remain registered, requiring no action from them.
  • update application processes for EU citizens to meet the new eligibility criteria.

Changes to candidacy rights

  • changes to candidacy rights for EU citizens will be effective from 7 May 2024. EU citizens elected before this date can remain in office for their full term.
  • after this date, EU citizens standing as candidates must have been legally resident in the UK before 31 December 2020 or be from an EU country with a reciprocal agreement with the UK to be eligible

If we send you a letter or email about your eligibility to vote

We're reviewing the eligibility of current EU citizens who are registered to vote.

As part of this review, we're contacting EU citizens to tell them either:

  • they're still eligible to vote in some UK elections; or
  • we are not sure if they're eligible to vote in some UK elections. In this case, we will ask for information to confirm if they are eligible.

If we tell you that you're still eligible to vote:

  • you don't need to do anything.
  • you'll remain eligible to register to vote. When registered, you can vote in elections in your area (excluding UK Parliament elections).

If we ask you to confirm your eligibility

We will ask if you meet the eligibility criteria. Your response will only be shared with the Electoral Registration Officer.

To confirm your eligibility, you will need to either:

  • go to the government website - details on how to log in will be in the letter or email from us; or
  • complete a paper form and return it to us - this form will be in the letter or email from us.

If you do not meet the eligibility criteria, or do not provide the details we ask for, you'll not be eligible to vote in:

  • local council elections 
  • Police and Crime Commissioner elections.

For more information, please visit the Electoral Commission's website.

Published: 10 May 2024

Last updated: 3 October 2024