You can register to vote if:
- you're 18 years old (16 and 17 year olds can only register if they'll be 18 within the lifetime of the electoral register)
- you live at your address for at least six months of the year
- you're a British, Irish, European Union or Commonwealth citizen
You can also use this service to:
- update your name, address or other details on the electoral register
- change your voting preferences (for example to vote by post)
- change whether you're on the open register
Registration takes about five minutes (you will need your national insurance number or may have to provide further evidence).
To check if you are registered to vote or for more information, email ero@plymouth.gov.uk or call 01752 304866.
If you're a student studying away from home, you can register in your home town as well as Plymouth. You can vote in both locations for local elections but only in one location for UK and European Parliamentary elections.
If you're a member of the armed forces (or a spouse or civil partner of a serving member) you can vote in the normal way or register for a service vote. All service votes are valid for five years.
If you're a Crown servant or a British Council employee (or the spouse or civil partner of a Crown servant or British Council employee) you need to register separately if you're likely to be posted abroad.
Register to vote - Crown servants and British Council employees.
If you're a British Citizen and you intend to move abroad to live or work, you may still be able to register to vote at Parliamentary Elections.
Your right to vote in the UK can last up to 15 years (after you were last registered in the UK). At the time of an election, you can apply to vote by post or proxy.
In order to vote you must apply for a postal or proxy vote. However, you should vote by proxy if the election is less than two weeks away and you haven't made any arrangements yet, as you may not get your ballot paper in time to vote by post.
We cannot send your postal ballot paper by email. We have to send it by post for you to complete and return by post in the pre-paid envelope provided.
You can still register to vote even if you do not have a fixed address. This may be because you are:
- A patient in a mental health hospital
- Homeless
- A merchant seaman
- Part of the gypsy or travelling community
- Living on a boat or other movable residence
- A person remanded in custody
If you are staying at an address for an extended length of time then you can be considered as residing there and can register for that address. This could be a hospital, hostel, prison facility or similar place.
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 some connection. This could be a previously permanent address, shelter or similar place.
Further information on registering to vote without a fixed address
People with a learning disability have the same right to vote as everyone else.
Registering to vote will let you have your say in local elections, general elections and referendums.
There is an easy read step-by-step guide to registering to vote on the Government website.