Register to vote
Why should you register?
There are many reasons to be listed on the electoral register, here are just a few.
- If you are not registered, you cannot vote. In order to vote in any UK elections, you have to be listed on the electoral register.
- Voting gives you a say on who represents you in your local council and in Parliament, giving you a say on important issues that affect you – from education and the environment, to roads and housing.
- It only takes a few minutes to register online. Just visit GOV.UK - Register to vote and complete the online form. You will need your national insurance number to hand.
- If you are not on the register you may find it harder to get a mortgage, loan, finance agreement, or even a mobile phone contract because the register is used by credit reference agencies.
- Because elections can be called quickly at any time, if you are not registered, you may miss the opportunity to vote in an election which is called quickly.
More information can be found on the Your Vote Matters website.
More details can be found on our Privacy Notice for Electoral Registration
Who can apply to register to vote?
Nationality
You can register to vote if you are:
- a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen who has permission to enter and remain in the UK or does not require such permission
- a European Union (EU) citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, or Spain who has permission to enter and remain in the UK or does not require such permission
- a EU citizen of any other EU country who on or before 31 December 2020 had permission to enter and remain in the UK or did not require such permission, and this has continued without a break.
More information can be found on the Electoral Commission website
Age
In England, Wales and Northern Ireland you can register to vote if you are 17 years old (and in some cases, if you are 16). And you can vote when you are 18.
Further details can be found on the Electoral Commission website.
How to register
You can register online at GOV.UK - Register to vote. This is quickest and easiest way to register and it only takes a few minutes. You will need your national insurance number to hand. Once you have completed the online form, your data will be verified and, if you live in the West Suffolk area, sent to us to complete the registration.
You can also register to vote by completing a paper voting registration form and, if you live in the West Suffolk area, by sending it to Electoral Services, West Suffolk Council, West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3YU.
Completed registration forms can be sent to us by email at elections@westsuffolk.gov.uk
How to opt out of the open register
The ‘open register’ which is also known as the edited register, is an edited version of the electoral register. It is available to anyone who wants to buy a copy and can be used, for example, by businesses and charities as a marketing tool.
Users of the open register may include:
- Councils, when contacting local residents
- Charities, when undertaking fundraising activities
- Letting agents and landlords, when undertaking identity checks
- Marketing companies, when updating their mailing lists
- Debt collection agencies, when attempting to trace individuals
- Businesses, when checking the identity and addresses details of people who apply for their goods and services.
Unless you ask for them to be removed, your name and address will be included in the open register.
It is a simple process to remove your details from the open register and this does not affect your right to vote or your credit status.
You can request for your details to be removed from the open register by completing the online form below, sending an email to elections@westsuffolk.gov.uk or by writing to Electoral Services, West Suffolk Council, West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3YU. You will need to give us your name and address and tell us whether you want to be included or excluded from the open register.
Further details can be found on our Privacy Notice for Electoral Registration
What to do if you move house
When you move house you need to re-register to your new address. You can do this online at GOV.UK - Register to vote.
When you register to your new address, you will be removed from the register at your old address.
Am I registered?
If you live within West Suffolk, you can find out if you are registered to vote by sending us an email to elections@westsuffolk.gov.uk or by writing to Electoral Services, West Suffolk Council, West Suffolk House, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP33 3YU.
If you live outside of the West Suffolk area, you can find out which your local council here.
Further details can be found on our Privacy Notice for Electoral Registration
Overseas electors
British citizens living abroad, can vote in UK Parliamentary elections but cannot vote in local elections. If you are a UK citizen living abroad, you can apply to be an overseas voter.
You can register online at GOV.UK - Voting if you live or move abroad
Voting as an overseas elector
Once you are registered to vote as an overseas elector, you can apply to vote by post or vote by proxy.
Voting by post from overseas
If you are a registered overseas elector, you can apply to vote by post but you must consider whether you have enough time to apply for, receive and return your postal vote.
Voting by proxy from overseas
If you are a registered overseas elector, you can apply to vote by proxy. This means you can appoint another person (a 'proxy') to vote on your behalf. A proxy can vote by post, if previously arranged, or attend your normal polling station to vote in person, using a special polling card.
If you move back to the UK as a full time resident, you can register to vote using your permanent address and be granted full voting rights.
Declarations of local connection
You can register to vote even if you do not have a fixed address. You may not have a fixed address because you are:
- homeless
- a person remanded in custody
- a patient in a mental health hospital
- a member of the gypsy or travelling community
- living on a boat.
If you are staying at an address for a continued period of time, then you may be considered as residing there and can register at that address. This could include hostels, hospitals or prisons.
If you do not have a permanent address, you can register at an address where you spend a substantial part of your time or have a connection. This could be a hostel, a friend’s house or a day centre.
You can register by filling in a form called a 'Declaration of local connection'. The form can be found on GOV.UK - Register to vote if you haven't got a fixed or permanent address
Changes to voting and candidacy rights for EU citizens - Elections Act 2022
From the 7 May 2024, EU citizens are no longer automatically entitled to register, vote or stand for elections which use the local government election franchise. These changes are a result of The Elections Act 2022 and following the UK’s departure from the European Union.
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.
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 are reviewing the eligibility of current EU citizens who are registered to vote.
As part of this review, we are contacting EU citizens to tell them either:
- they are still eligible to vote in some UK elections; or
- we are not sure if they are 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 are still eligible to vote:
- you don't need to do anything.
- you will 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:
- Visit: Reply to your Electoral Registration Office about your voting rights
- Read the information on the screen and click “Start Now”.
- Enter the one-time unique security code provided on your e-mail or letter and complete the service.
Alternatively, you can respond via:
- e-mail: elections@westsuffolk.gov.uk
- telephone: 01284 757131
- by returning the form you have received via post to: Electoral Services, West Suffolk Council, West Suffolk house, Western Way, Bury St Edmunds IP33 3YU.
If you do not meet the eligibility criteria, or do not provide the details we ask for, you will not be eligible to vote in:
- local council elections
- Police and Crime Commissioner elections.