To be able to vote in elections, you must be registered to vote. By law, you must register to vote if you are eligible to do so, or you could be fined up to £80.
You only need to register once and you do not need to register separately for every election. Paying your Council Tax does not mean you are automatically registered to vote.
You must register again if you have changed address, name, or nationality.
Register to vote
The easiest way to register to vote is on the GOV.UK website, it takes about 5 minutes.
As part of the application process you will need your national insurance number, so please have this to hand before you start.
Everyone in your home must register individually.
Registering to vote does not automatically add you to the electoral register. We must check your details first, then you will get a letter either confirming you are registered or asking for more information.
Who can register to vote?
You can register to vote if you are:
- 16 or older (although you cannot vote until you are 18)
- living at an address in the South Ribble Council area
- a British Citizen
- an Irish, qualifying Commonwealth, or European Union Citizen living in the UK.
Alternative voting options
We appreciate everybody's circumstances are different. There are various other options related to voting that may apply to you. If any of the below apply, please select an option for more information on how to register and vote:
Crown servants and British council employees
Register anonymously if you are in danger
Register to vote if you are in the armed forces