How to Register to Vote: There Could be a General Election
The world of politics is absolutely mental at the moment, and with new Prime Minister Boris Johnson proroguing Parliament, a no-deal Brexit looming, and now the potential for a snap General Election (again…) it couldn’t be more important to make sure your voice is heard.
It’s easy to presume that with the amount of chaos in Westminster, and shots being called from all angles, that a small cross on a ballot paper representing one individual opinion is insignificant. But, if the 2016 EU referendum taught us anything, it’s that a few more votes can make a huge change to the country. In such divisive times, your opinion is more important than ever.
If you’ve not voted before, just moved and not registered with your new address yet, or are a student who’ll be voting away from home, here’s an easy guide to registering to vote and finding your nearest polling station.
Who can register to vote?
The rules around who can vote and at what age vary depending on the election, so for now let’s just focus on General Elections: that’s most likely to be the next time the whole country will vote.
To vote in a General Election you have to be over 18 on the day of the election, be British, Irish or a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, be a UK resident (or British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years), and not be legally excluded from voting.
How do I register to vote?
So, if you meet the above criteria, congrats! You can use your vote and have your say on how the country is run.
The easiest way to register to vote is using the Government’s online portal – https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote – and you will need your National Insurance (NI) number. You can find it on payslips, a P45 or P60, or any other official letters about tax, benefits or pensions.
If you don’t have your NI number, you’ll need to explain why and send some additional identification documents in the post. This could delay your voter registration so make sure you do this in plenty of time!
You will need to register to vote again if you’ve moved house, or changed your name or nationality.
What if I’m a student, and I’m registered at home but want to vote in my University city?
No problem – the voter registration service allows students to be registered in two locations so they can choose to either vote at home or in their University city. You can still only vote once in any one election, though – so it might be worth doing a bit of research and seeing where your vote will count most (if one of the constituencies is a marginal seat, for example.)
Follow the instructions on the Government portal to re-register in your University city, if you choose to.
How can I vote?
There are three main ways to vote: in person at a polling station, by post, or by proxy.
If you choose to vote in person, your local Electoral Registration Office will send you a polling card just before an election, telling you when and where to vote. If you want to know before then, just click through to wheredoivote.co.uk once an election is announced and you can find your closest polling station with your postcode.
Elections are traditionally held on a Thursday, and polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm. It generally takes less than 5 minutes to vote, and there are plenty of local polling stations so you won’t have to travel far – mine is a local church a five minute walk from my house!
If you’re away from home, you must apply for a postal vote in plenty of time, through the Register to Vote portal. You will then be sent a ballot paper you must fill out in private, and post back as quickly as possible to ensure it’s counted. If you miss the postal deadline, you’ll have to take it to a polling station by 10pm on election day.
You can also register to vote by proxy – have someone vote on your behalf – through the same Government portal. You can only do this under certain circumstances, for example being away on polling day, having a medical issue or disability, or not being able to vote in person because of work or military service.
Make your voice heard
You can now see how bloody easy it is to register to vote and to cast your ballot, making sure your voice is heard. It might seem futile – believe me, I’ve questioned it too – but our democracy is so important, and using your vote is the easiest way to get your point across.
