Registering to vote - Print version

How do I register to vote?

You can find out how to register to vote or more information on registering to vote at www.gov.uk/registertovote [https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote] 

You will need to provide 'identifying information', such as your date of birth and national insurance number when applying and your application will need to be verified with Government records before you are added to the register.  If your details are not matched then you may be asked to provide an alternative form of evidence to prove your identity (for example a Passport, Photo Driving Licence, Biometric Residence Permit or National Identity Card).  If you have the facility to scan documents, then we do accept a clear scanned copy and it can be emailed to electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk].

Can I register over the phone?

You can register to vote by phone, you will need your national insurance number, you can also register within 5 minutes at www.gov.uk/registertovote [http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote]

What if I can't find my National Insurance Number, or don't have one? 

A National Insurance number is a reference number used by government.  The easiest place to find your National Insurance number is on official paperwork, such as your National Insurance card, payslips or letters from the Department of Work and Pensions or HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).

If you are still unable to find your National Insurance Number go to Find a lost National Insurance number [https://www.gov.uk/lost-national-insurance-number]. You can also use the free HMRC app which provides a quick and easy way to check your national insurance number.

If you haven’t been given a national insurance number, you will need to provide a reason when applying. We will then contact you to provide evidence as to your identity. This is usually a photocopy or scanned image of your driving licence or passport.

Why should I register to vote? 

• If you're not registered, you can't vote. You'll miss your chance to elect Councillors, MPs and others that represent you. 
• Credit checks - credit referencing companies use the Register when checking if a person has a good credit rating. If you are not listed on the Register, you may have difficulty opening a bank account, applying for a loan, credit card or mortgage.
• Jury Service - the Register of Electors is used to call people for Jury Service. There is evidence that fewer young people and people from ethnic minorities register to vote with the result that they are under-represented in the judicial system.
• It's the law - there is a maximum £1,000 fine for individuals who refuse to register, and a maximum £5,000 fine for individuals who provide false information.

Can a family member register me to vote? 

Everybody needs to register themselves to vote.  It is straightforward and quick, you can register at www.gov.uk/registertovote [http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote].  If you are unable to register yourself, it’s ok to get help filling in the details, but you must make the declaration yourself. In certain circumstances, someone who has been granted appropriate power of attorney may be able to make the declaration on your behalf. If you need any further assistance with this you can contact a member of the team on 024 7683 3034.

I don't know my date of Birth? 

If you do not know your actual date of birth, you may have been given an official one in the past and this can be used to register to vote.  This can be found on paperwork including a passport, adoption certificate, driving licence or naturalisation certificate. If you do not have one, you will need to explain why you are unable to provide it on your application to register and indicate if you are under 18 years old.

 

I'm already registered - will I need to do anything?

If you have received a letter telling you that you are registered to vote you do not need to do anything. You will receive a poll card before the next elections.

Once you’re registered, you don’t need to register again unless your circumstances change, for example, if you change address. We will contact you every year (usually between July and November) to find out if there have been any changes to who is living at your address. You should also inform us if any of your details (such as your name) change.

How can I find out if I'm registered to vote?

You can contact our Electoral Services department by using the contact details below. Please note that if you're emailing us we'll need your full name and address to check this for you.

Privacy Notice for Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer

View the Privacy Notice [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/electoralservicesprivacynotice].

View the Retention, Storage and disposal of documents [http://www.coventry.gov.uk/downloads/download/5104/retention_storage_and_disposal_of_documents].

Do I have to register? What happens if I don't?

If you have received an invitation to register to vote, either by post or by email it is important that you respond.  If you don't, you will be sent reminders and someone will visit your home.  At the end of this process you may be sent a requirement to register, if you fail to do so without providing adequate reasons as to why you have not you may be fined £80.  Not being registered can also impact on applications for mortgages or mobile phones, since credit reference agencies use the register to validate applications.

 

Why do you want my National Insurance number?

Under the individual electoral registration system people need to provide a few more details about themselves to register - these are date of birth and National Insurance number.  These details are checked against government records to verify the person's identity.  This is intended to make the system more secure.

Why do you want my date of birth?

Under the individual electoral registration system people need to provide a few more details about themselves to register - these are date of birth and National Insurance number.  These details are checked against government records to verify the person's identity.  This is intended to make the system more secure.

How do I change my details on the electoral roll?

How do I change my address on the electoral register?  

When you move house you need to register to vote at your new address, telling Council Tax is not enough. Simply complete a new application at www.gov.uk/registertovote [http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote]. Make sure you include your previous address on your registration as this will get your details removed from your old address.

You will need your National Insurance number (if you have one) and passport (if you've moved abroad).

If you have moved away from Coventry you can use the same form [http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote]. You will be able to give your old address on this form, and your new authority will then tell us so we can take your details off our register.

Remember to keep your details updated; it will help keep your credit history accurate. The electoral register can never be back-dated.

How do I change my name on the electoral register? 

If your name has changed you can complete a change of name form with your previous and new name and the date of the change.  You will need to provide evidence to support the change of name, such as a marriage/civil partnership certificate or deed poll certificate.  Alongside this we need your signature, old name, new name and your address. You can send us a copy of your documents in the post or scanned copies by email [mailto:electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk?subject=Changing my name on the Electoral Register]. Please DO NOT send original documents as this isn't required.

Alternatively you can submit a new registration at www.gov.uk/registertovote [http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote]. Remember to include your previous name as well as your new name otherwise your details will not match.

Who can register to vote?

You can register to vote if you are 

- aged 16 or over. Though some 16 and 17 year olds are able to be included on the register of electors as an 'attainer'. They will then be able to vote as soon as they are 18.

- resident in the UK (except for service voters or overseas voters who can reside abroad).

- a British citizen or an Irish citizen. 

You can also register if you have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man - or you do not need permission - and you’re a:

• Commonwealth citizen 
• citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain 
• citizen of another EU country, if you have had permission to enter or stay - or not needed permission - since 31 December 2020, and this has continued without a break

Qualifying citizens of the European Union (who are not Commonwealth citizens or citizens of the Republic of Ireland) can vote in local elections in the UK and some referendums but are not able to vote in UK Parliamentary general elections.

Check if you are eligible to register [http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/register-vote-and-update-your-details].

Changes to electoral registration for EU citizens

From May 2024 and following the UK’s departure from the European Union, voting rights for EU citizens have changed.

To be registered to vote, EU citizens living in England must meet new eligibility criteria, based on the country they are from and when they started living in the UK.

Two groups of EU citizens will retain their rights:

• Qualifying EU citizens from countries with reciprocal agreements, and who have leave, or do not require it, to remain in the UK – currently:
  • Denmark
  • Luxembourg
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Spain

The changes will not affect citizens of the Republic of Ireland or citizens of Commonwealth nations.

• Other EU citizens who were living in the UK before the end of the EU Withdrawal Agreement Implementation Period (up until 31 December 2020) will also still be able to vote and stand in elections.

Review process - we will contact you

If you’ve received a letter, email or telephone call about your eligibility to vote

Electoral Registration Officers are required to conduct a review of all European citizens who are registered to vote.

As part of this review, we are contacting all EU citizens to either:

• let them know they are still eligible to vote in some UK elections
• tell them they aren’t sure if they are eligible to vote in some UK elections, and ask them to provide information that will be used to confirm whether they are eligible

We will contact you via email, letter, or telephone call. The email will come from either Coventry Elections or Electoral Services. If you do not respond we will send a member of staff called a canvasser out to your property to speak to you.

Why has someone called at my house?

If you have not responded to our letter, email or telephone call we will visit your property to ask you to respond. We will be visiting from Thursday 29 August until Wednesday 4 September 2024. Our staff will wear a name badge and identify themselves as working for the electoral services team.

If you are told you are still eligible to vote

There is nothing you need to do. You will remain eligible and can vote in upcoming elections in your area (excluding UK Parliament elections).

If you are asked to provide information to confirm your eligibility

You will be asked if you meet the eligibility criteria. Your answer to this question will only be shared with the Electoral Registration Office.

You need to either:

• go to the gov.uk website (Opens in new window) [https://www.gov.uk/eu-voter-reply]. Details on how to log in will be included in the letter or email from us
• complete the paper form, or request a paper form and return it us using the details on the letter.
• provide the information to the person who is calling you. They will announce that they are from the elections team at Coventry City Council.

More information can be found on the Electoral Commission website [https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/blog/changes-eu-citizens-some-uk-elections].

I am a student, can I register?

Are you registered to vote?

As a student you are able to register at home and at your term-time address. So wherever you are on election day, you can have your say.

There are other good reasons to register; the main one being that if you are not on the register of electors you may experience problems obtaining credit as the register is used by credit reference agencies to confirm your address.

So not being registered could mean you may struggle to get a new mobile phone contract, open a bank account and possibly later in life a mortgage.

How can I register? 

Register to vote online [https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote]

You'll need your National Insurance number and date of birth. 

As a student, you can register at your term-time address and at your home address - so whether you're at uni or at home, if you're registered, you can vote on election day.

Can I vote twice? At university and at home? 

You can't vote twice in a UK Parliamentary, Scottish Parliamentary, National Assembly for Wales or European Parliamentary election. You would be committing an offence if you voted twice. However, you can vote in a local government election at home and at your term-time address, as long as they are in different local government areas.

Can I register to vote anonymously?

Anonymous registration is available if your safety or that of any other person in the same household would be at risk if your name or address were made public. You must provide court documents or an attestation (eg from a senior police officer or director of social services) in support of your application. A separate application form must be completed in writing - you are not able to register anonymously online. If you want more information on this, or have any concerns about attestation please contact the helpline on 024 7683 3034 or email us at electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk [http://electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk]

I live overseas, am I able to register to vote?

I live overseas, can I register?

British citizens living abroad can now vote in UK Parliament elections even if they’ve lived outside the UK for more than 15 years.

They will need to have previously lived or been registered to vote in the UK at some point in their life.

You can register as an overseas elector [http://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote], and your overseas declaration is now valid for three years, lasting the 1 November in the third year after it takes effect. 

These changes apply to UK Parliament general elections, by-elections and recall petitions. They do not apply to local elections.

When applying, you need to provide the last UK address you lived at or were registered to vote at. You also need to provide your National Insurance number and date of birth. These are used to verify your identity.

More details can be found on the Electoral Commission website [https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/news-and-views/elections-act/changes-overseas-voting]

Options for voting as an overseas elector

As on overseas elector you will need to make arrangements for absent voting.

The options available are:

• appoint a proxy in the UK who could either visit your polling station or apply for a postal vote themselves in order to ensure that your vote is counted
• apply to vote by post – the ballot paper would be sent to the address you request on your application.

It is recommended that you consider appointing a proxy as due to the fact that ballot packs cannot be distributed until after the close of nominations (which is the time candidates can stand) the earliest they are likely to be despatch is -12 days before any election, that is assuming your arrangement is in place before the election is called. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is -11 days before the election so if you made an application by that point your pack is unlikely to be despatched until -6 days before. In view of these timings it is unlikely a pack would manage to make it to an overseas address and be returned by 10pm on polling day.

You can find more information on proxy and postal voting on the Electoral Commission website: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/ways-vote [https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/ways-vote]

Apply to vote by proxy [https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/voting-by-proxy]

Apply to vote by post [https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/postal-voting] 

I am a service voter, how do I register to vote?

A member of HM Forces and their wife/husband or civil partner can register as an ordinary elector or as a service voter. You can register as a service voter [https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote-armed-forces]. A service declaration must be completed, which is valid for five years. Each unit of the services has designated one member of staff to be a Unit Registration Officer who will be able to provide further advice.

I have no fixed address, can I register to vote?

If you have no fixed address you can still register to vote.  You will need to make a 'declaration of local connection' to show that you are connected to and spend time at a particular place. You can only do this for one place.

If you want to register through a declaration of local connection you will need to do so you will need to provide your date of birth and National Insurance number.
You can access the relevant form to register at www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/people-no-fixed-address [http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/people-no-fixed-address] or by contacting 024 7683 3034.

What is electoral register and the open register? What's the difference?

Using information received from the public, registration officers keep two registers – the electoral register and the open register (also known as the edited register).

The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections.

The register is used for electoral purposes – such as making sure only eligible people can vote – and for other limited purposes specified in law, such as detecting crime (e.g. fraud), calling people for jury service and checking credit applications.

The open register is an extract of the electoral register, but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details.

In addition the electoral registration officer will process your personal information in accordance with current data protection legislation. You can access their privacy statement -  

Who can use the electoral register? 

• Election staff, political parties, candidates and holders of elected office use the register for electoral purposes.
• Your local council and the British Library hold copies that anyone may look at under supervision. A copy is also held by the Electoral Commission, the Boundary Commissions (which set constituency boundaries for most elections) and the Office for National Statistics.
• The council can use the register for duties relating to security, enforcing the law and preventing crime. The police and the security services can also use it for law enforcement.
• The register is used when calling people for jury service.
• Government departments may buy the register from local registration officers and use it to help prevent and detect crime. They can also use it to safeguard national security by checking the background of job applicants and employees.
• Credit reference agencies can buy the register. They help other organisations to check the names and addresses of people applying for credit. They also use it to carry out identity checks when trying to prevent and detect money laundering.

It is a criminal offence for anyone to supply or use the register for anything else.

The open register is an extract of the electoral register, but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details. The personal data in the register must always be processed in line with data-protection legislation.

Who uses the open register? 

Users of the open register include:

• businesses checking the identity and address details of people who apply for their services such as insurance, goods hire and property rental, as well as when they shop online
• businesses selling age-restricted goods or services, such as alcohol and gambling online, to meet the rules on verifying the age of their customers
• charities and voluntary agencies, for example to help maintain contact information for those who have chosen to donate bone marrow and to help people separated by adoption to find each other
• charities, to help with fundraising and contacting people who have made donations
• debt-collection agencies when tracing people who have changed address without telling their creditors
• direct-marketing firms when maintaining their mailing lists
• landlords and letting agents when checking the identity of potential tenants
• local councils when identifying and contacting residents
• online directory firms to help users of the websites find people, such as when reuniting friends and families
• organisations tracing and identifying beneficiaries of wills, pensions and insurance policies
• private-sector firms to verify details of job applicants.

Around the time of elections or referendums, promotional material from campaign groups is often sent out. Official campaigns are provided with registers that detail the addresses of people who have a postal vote.

Am I on the open register?

Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote. To opt out of the open register you can email - optout@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:optout@coventry.gov.uk] stating your name and address.

Can I view the electoral register? 

The current electoral register is open to inspection, but people cannot search for your name. It is kept in address order within each of the 18 electoral wards. You can view the register between 8:30am and 5pm Monday to Thursday, and between 8:30am and 4:30pm on Fridays at the Council House. You will need to call the team on 02476 833034 to make an appointment. 

You are not able to view the Electoral Registers from the last 10 years. However, copies of the Open Registers prior to 10 years ago can be viewed at the Coventry Archives and Research Centre [http://www.theherbert.org/history_centre]. 

How can I prove I am on the electoral register?

If you have registered to vote recently you will receive a letter through the post to confirm that you have been added to the Register and the Elector Number that you have been allocated.

If you are unable to find the confirmation letter we can arrange a Certificate of Residency free of charge. This is available from Electoral Services. Please ensure that you are listed on the Electoral Register before you contact us. Or please send an email to electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk] titled Certificate of Residency giving the name and address of the property. 

Find out if you are registered to vote

To find out if you are registered to vote, telephone Electoral Services or e-mail the Electoral Services Office.

How do I vote?

Near the election date you will be sent an official poll card telling you when election day is and where your local polling station is. You can vote there between 7am and 10pm on election day. Our staff will be at every polling station to help you with any questions or if you have a disability.

Vote in person [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/elections-voting/polling-stations/1] - To vote in person you will need to show an accepted from of Voter ID [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/voterid] 

Vote by post [https://www.coventry.gov.uk/elections-voting/postal-voting]

Vote by proxy [http://www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote]

Further information about how you can vote [https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote]

How can I prove I live in Coventry and I'm on the electoral register?

If you have registered to vote recently you will receive a letter through the post to confirm that you have been added to the Register and the Elector Number that you have been allocated.

If you are unable to find the confirmation letter we can arrange a Certificate of Residency, confirming your entry on the electoral register, free of charge.

Please note that the property must be in Coventry and that letters must be posted to your home address and cannot be emailed.

To request a letter, email electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk . We'll need your full name and current address in Coventry before we can provide you with a certificate.

Can I change my contact preferences?

If you have supplied us with an email address we may email you about electoral registration and voting.

If you wish to change how we contact you, please email us at electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk [mailto:electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk?subject=Change%20my%20contact%20preferences] with the subject line 'Change my contact preferences'.

Can I register online?

You can make an 'application' to register online [http://www.gov.uk/registertovote], your application is then reviewed by local electoral registration staff to decide if it is a successful application.  This means your registration is not complete until the application has been accepted.  You will receive a letter from the electoral registration office when your application is complete or if they need any other information from you.

How will I know if my application has been successful?

You’ll be sent a letter from local electoral registration staff confirming that your registration was successful, or asking for more information if that is required. If you have provided your email address or phone numbers, you may be contacted that way instead.

Can I register someone else online?

Everybody needs to register themselves to vote.  It is straightforward and quick, you can register at www.gov.uk/registertovote [http://www.gov.uk/registertovote].  If you are unable to register yourself, it’s ok to get help filling in the details, but you must make the declaration yourself. In certain circumstances, someone who has been granted appropriate power of attorney may be able to make the declaration on your behalf. If you need any further assistance with this you can contact a member of the team on 024 7683 3034.

Can I check if I am already registered online?

You are not able to check if you are already registered online, you need to contact the electoral services team - electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk  [mailto:electoral.services@coventry.gov.uk ]

Is the data I enter online secure? 

The online registration service and the data you provide is secure. It has been independently accredited, tested for security, and developed to meet best practice guidelines for data security.

My online form won't submit, what should I do?

If you have problems completing the online form, local electoral registration staff will be able to help you with the problem. The online service is designed with one question per screen and provides clear error messages when something has gone wrong, so it should be straightforward to find out what the problem is. If you cannot solve the issue then please contact 024 7683 3034.