Fact Service September 2019

Issue 39

Get registered to vote in general election


Fact Service may be repeating itself, but it’s important. The next general election is looming, so it’s vital to be registered to vote.


Anyone on the electoral register aged 18 or above on polling day has a vote. You have to be a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland. Although a date has not been set for a general election, you can register to vote at any time if you are 17 — or 15 in Scotland. You need to register at least 12 working days before an election.


According to the Guardian, more than 100,000 people applied to register to vote in just two days at the start of September, with young people making up the bulk of the surge against the backdrop of a momentous 48 hours in British politics.


Anybody who is eligible and who hasn’t done so, can register online through: 


https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

You may need the following:


•  National Insurance number;


•  passport if you’re a British citizen living abroad, and want to vote in England, Scotland or Wales.


https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/04/more-than-100000-people-apply-register-vote-youth-uk-general-election