Final call to register to vote in local elections

The Electoral Commission is urging anyone who wants to take part to register before the deadline at 11.59pm today.

Registering takes five minutes and can be done online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. Voters need their name, address and national insurance number. A person can register if they are a British citizen resident in the UK, or an Irish, qualifying EU or Commonwealth citizen resident in the UK.

Around 575,000 applications to register have already been made in England since 17 February when the Commission’s voter registration campaign began.

Niki Nixon, Director of Communications, said: “Make sure you’re ready to vote ahead of the upcoming local elections on 1 May. You need to be registered to vote before the deadline at 11.59pm tonight. If your details have changed or you’ve moved home since registering for the general election last year, you’ll need to update your details. It only takes five minutes, and you can do it online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. 

“You’ll also need to take photo ID with you to the polling station. Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of photo ID can apply for free ID online or by requesting a paper form from their local council.

“And if you want to vote by post or by appointing a proxy to vote on your behalf, you’ll need to apply before the deadline.”

Commission research shows that young people, students and those who have recently moved are less likely to be registered.

Information about the ID requirement and all your voting options can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website.