Registering to vote

Registering to vote

In order to vote in elections you need to be on the electoral register. The deadline to register to vote in an election is 12 working days before the poll.

Register to Vote

To check if you are already registered to vote, contact 01772 625 625 or email electoralservices@southribble.gov.uk.

If you need official confirmation that you are registered to vote for something like a mortgage application, loan, credit agreement, or similar, we can send you an official letter. Please specify this when you contact us.

If you do not register at all, this may affect your ability to get credit, as well as meaning you will not be able to vote, and you may be fined.

• How to register?
• Online
• Post
• Registering to vote at more than one address
• Registering to vote without a fixed address
• Anonymous registration
• Overseas voters
• Learning disabilities and registering to vote
• Changing your details
• Find your polling station

How to register?

You can register to vote online or by post.

Once you have registered, you will receive a letter of confirmation.

To register to vote, you must be one of the following:

• A British citizen
• An EU citizen resident in the UK
• A qualifying Commonwealth* citizen resident in the UK

*a qualifying Commonwealth citizen is someone who has leave to enter or remain in the UK, or does not require such leave.

Online

You can register to vote online using the GOV.UK website. You will need to provide your National Insurance number.

Register to Vote

By post

Download, print off and complete an application form and return it to Electoral Services, Civic Centre, West Paddock, Leyland, PR25 1DH.

To download the register to vote application form from the GOV.UK website click here.

Registering to vote at more than one address

People are usually registered at one address only, which they consider to be their permanent home address. If you are living somewhere temporarily but have a permanent address you should register at the permanent address.

The exception to this is where the property is listed as an empty property for Council Tax purposes. In these instances there should be no electors registered at the property.

Registering to vote without a fixed address

You can register to vote even if you do not have a fixed address. To register you need to give an address where you would be living if it were not for your current situation or an address where you have lived in the past. If you are homeless you can give details of where you spend a substantial part of your time.

For further information about how to register click here.  

To download the register to vote application form from the GOV.UK website click here.

Anonymous registration

Anonymous registration was set up to help individuals whose safety would be at risk (or where the safety of other people at the same address would be at risk) if their name and address was listed on the electoral register - e.g. a person who has fled domestic abuse.

To download the register to vote application form from the GOV.UK website click here.

Overseas voters

If you are an overseas voter you can register in the same way as normal by clicking here You will need your passport number and the address of where you were last registered to vote in the UK. You must have been registered at an address in the UK within the last 15 years. An overseas registration lasts for a year and so you will need to renew annually. We will get in touch with you when it is time to renew.

Learning disabilities and registering to vote

People with learning disabilities have the same right to vote as everyone else. The Cabinet Office have produced a step by step easy to read guide to registering to vote for people with a learning disability.

Changing your details

If you need to change your personal details, for example to correct a spelling mistake or change your name, you need to re-register with the correct details through the GOV.UK registration site. You will need your National Insurance number. Click here if you wish to change your personal details.

Find your polling station

Please click here to use our polling station finder tool.