With less that a week left to register to vote for the local elections in England, the Electoral Commission is reminding voters that they must be registered to ensure their voice is heard on 1 May.
The deadline to register is 11.59pm on Friday 11 April. Registering takes five minutes and can be done online at gov.uk/register-to-vote (Opens in new window). Voters need their name, address and national insurance number.
A person can register to vote if they are aged 18 or over on polling day, a British citizen resident in the UK, or an Irish, EU or qualifying Commonwealth citizen resident in the UK.
Around 13 million people are estimated to be eligible to vote at this year’s May elections. Yet according to the latest research as many as 14% of people across England are either incorrectly registered or missing from the register entirely.
Jackie Killeen, Director of Electoral Administration and Regulation at the Electoral Commission, said:
“Only people registered to vote can have their say at the May elections on issues important to their local areas.
“It’s also important that voters remember to bring their photo ID to polling stations. Anyone that does not have an accepted form can apply for free voter ID until 23 April.”
Commission research shows that young people, students and those who have recently moved are less likely to be registered.
Almost 470,000 applications to register have already been made in England since 17 February when the Commission’s voter registration campaign began.
Anyone previously on the register who has recently moved home or whose details have changed will need to register to vote again.
