How do I register to vote, and what is the open register?
Registration takes about five minutes online, has to be redone whenever you move, and quietly puts you on a second register that is sold commercially unless you opt out.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 10 min
- Read
- 3 min
Short answer
Register at gov.uk/register-to-vote with your National Insurance number, address and date of birth. It takes about five minutes. You must re-register every time you move — it does not follow you. While registering, opt out of the open register unless you want your name and address sold to companies; it makes no difference to your right to vote or to your credit file.
There are two registers built from the same application. The electoral register is used for elections, jury summonses and credit reference checks. The open register is a copy that anyone can buy, including marketing companies and data brokers, and you are on it by default. Opting out affects neither your vote nor the credit-file benefit of being registered.
Step by step
- Check whether you are already registered.Registration lapses when you move and can lapse if you do not respond to the annual household canvass. Your local electoral registration office confirms your status; there is no single national lookup.
- Check you are eligible.Broadly, you must be sixteen or over — seventeen in Scotland and Wales for some elections — and be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or an EU citizen with the relevant qualifying status. Different elections have different eligibility, and the registration form handles it.
- Have your National Insurance number ready.It is used to verify your identity against DWP records, which is what makes the process instant. Without it the registration still works but goes to manual verification and takes longer.
- Register online, or on paper if you prefer.gov.uk/register-to-vote covers England, Scotland and Wales. Northern Ireland has its own process through the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland with a different form and different rules.
- Opt out of the open register at the same time.There is a tick box in the application. The open register is sold to anyone who wants it and is a major source of direct marketing. Opting out does not affect your vote, jury service liability, or the credit-file benefit.
- Opt out later if you missed it.Write or email your local electoral registration office and ask to be removed from the open register. It takes effect at the next monthly update. There is no charge, and you do not need a reason.
- Re-register whenever you move.It does not transfer. Students can register at both a term-time and a home address, and may vote in local elections in both if they are in different areas, but only once in a general election.
- Note the deadline before an election.Registration closes twelve working days before polling day. That is roughly a fortnight, and it is earlier than most people assume.
- Consider anonymous registration if your safety depends on it.Where being on the register would put you or someone in your household at risk, anonymous registration keeps your name and address off both registers entirely. It requires supporting evidence such as a court order or an attestation from a qualifying officer.
Questions people ask
Does being on the electoral register affect my credit score?
Yes, positively. Lenders use it to confirm identity and address, and being absent from it makes applications harder. Opting out of the open register does not remove that benefit, because lenders use the full register.
How do I get off the open register?
Contact your local electoral registration office and ask. It is free, no reason is required, and it takes effect at the next monthly update.
Can I register at two addresses?
In limited circumstances, most commonly students with a term-time and a home address. You may vote in local elections in both if they are separate areas, but you may only vote once in a UK parliamentary general election.