Register to vote

Who can register

You can register to vote if you are:

• 16 or older (although you can't vote until you are 18)
• living at an address in City of Bradford Metropolitan District area
• a British citizen
• an Irish or EU citizen living in the UK
• a Commonwealth citizen who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission

How to register to vote

Please use the online system to apply to register to vote. You will need your National Insurance number and your date of birth.

To check if you are already registered to vote, please contact our elections office. Tell them your full name and address and ask them to check if you are registered.

If you have never registered or if you have moved home since you last voted, register to vote now.

Register to vote now

Don’t get caught out. If you’re not registered, you can’t vote in elections or referendums.

There are lots of good reasons to register including:

• it gives you a say on important issues
• it contributes to your credit score - for example, for mobile phones and mortgages
• it’s an offence not to register. You can opt out of the open register, which is available for general use.

It’s quick and easy. Visit gov.uk/register-to-vote or call 01274 432287.

Further information on registering to vote and elections can be found on the Electoral Commission website.

Students

If you're a student and have a home address and a term address, you can register to vote at both addresses (as long as they're not both in the same council area.)

At local elections you can vote in both places.

At national elections, like a general election, you can only vote in one place, but you can choose which place you vote in.

Voting in more than one place at a national election or referendum is a criminal offence.

Register to vote

Overseas electors

If you are a UK citizen living abroad you can register to vote for UK Parliamentary General Elections. As part of your application you will be asked the address where you were last registered to vote and it will be in that area where your vote will be counted.

Further information is available at : Voting if you move or live abroad - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Registering to vote as an overseas elector

You can register to vote online the same way an elector in the UK does. The only difference being that an overseas elector must include their passport details.

Register to vote

• Proxy Voting If you are not based in the UK you appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf. You can apply online or complete and return an application form. As an overseas elector we would advise that you apply to vote by proxy if possible. Your appointed proxy has to attend the polling station you were last registered to vote at, so make sure that the person you appoint is familiar with where you would have previously voted.
• Postal vote If you are registered as an overseas elector you can apply to vote by post. You will need to make sure you have time to receive and return your ballot papers by polling day. If you have opted to vote by postal vote and it does not arrive in time or gets lost in the post, you cannot then change your method of voting. By law, all postal votes must be posted out, we are not allowed to email them to electors.

Register to vote if you're in the Armed Forces

People in the armed forces, and their spouses and civil partners, can register to vote as a service voter or an ordinary voter.

If you're based overseas, or expect to be posted abroad in the next year, register as a service voter. This allows you to be registered at a fixed address in the UK even if you move around. A service voter registration also lasts for five years.

You will need your service number to register.

Register to vote (armed forces)

If however you are based in the UK for the foreseeable future, we recommend you Register to vote as an ordinary elector.

Register anonymously if you're in danger

If your safety or that of any other person in your home will be at risk if your name or address is made public you can register anonymously. Your name and address will not be visible to anyone inspecting the register.

To register anonymously call us on 01274 433387. Do not complete an application online.

To register anonymously you will need to provide court documents or get your application supported and signed by, for example, a senior police officer or director of social services.

Anonymous registration lasts for one year at a time and then must be renewed.

Register to vote with no fixed address

You can still register to vote even if you don't have a fixed address. This may be because you're:

• a patient in a mental health hospital
• a homeless person
• a person remanded in custody

Please contact us on 01274 432287 or by email at electoralservices@bradford.gov.uk for more information and to request a form.

Why should I register to vote?

• It gives you a say on important issues that affect you – from roads and recycling, to education and climate change. 
• Voting gives you a say on who represents you in your local council, in the UK Parliament and in Europe 
• Elections can be called at short notice - if you’re not registered you can’t vote. 
• If you’re a student living away from home, you can register where you live at University or College as well as your normal home address providing they are not in the same local authority area 
• If you don’t register, you can’t vote! – It’s as simple as that. To vote in any UK elections, you have to be on the electoral register. 
• It’s easy to do
• People across the world have died fighting for the right to vote and be part of a democracy. In the UK, in the early 20th century, people were killed during their struggles to get the vote for women. 
• Black people were not allowed to vote in South Africa until the end of apartheid in 1994. Today, many people across the world are still denied the right to vote. By voting you are showing your support for people who have had to fight hard for democracy.