Register to Vote

Changes to voter registration

New legislation has changed the rules for voter registration and voting for UK Parliament Elections. These changes are not applicable to Scottish and local council elections. The main changes are:

Voter ID

There will be a requirement for photo identification to be shown when voting in person for UK Parliamentary elections (General Election). Photo ID is not required for Scottish Parliament and Local Council elections.

More information on Voter ID and how to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is available on the Electoral Commission website: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id

Online Absent Votes

You can now apply online for an absent vote, post or proxy, for UK Parliament Elections. Information is available on the Electoral Commission website https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections

Please note the online service is for UK Parliament elections only, you will also need to complete a paper application form to have an absent vote in place for Scottish and local council elections.

Overseas Electors

You can register to vote as an overseas elector if you are a British citizen living abroad. There is now no requirement to have been last registered to vote within the past 15 years. See below FAQs.

Who can register to vote?

Further new legislation which extended the voting franchise in Scotland was introduced in June 2020. This now means that you can register to vote if you are resident and are aged 14 years and over and are:

living in Scotland
a British or Irish citizen, or
If you hold EU citizenship (other than Republic of Ireland, Malta and Cyprus) and have permission to enter or remain in the UK, or do not need permission
a Commonwealth citizen or foreign national who has leave to enter or remain in the UK or does not require such leave
not legally excluded from voting

You can register to vote online. Remember every time you move address you need to register again.

If you are a British citizen living abroad, a Crown Servant, a British Council employee, member of the Armed Forces or of No Fixed Address please see the information contained in the FAQs below.

If you are concerned that having your name or address on the register may affect your safety, there could be other options available to you. To find out more please contact this office on 0141 287 4444.

Currently our office is closed to the public but our telephone service is open Monday to Friday - 9:30am to 3pm, and online services are operating as normal.

I'd like to register to vote

You can register to vote online. Remember every time you move address you need to register again.

You are required to provide your personal identifiers (name, nationality, date of birth and national insurance number) and address when registering to vote. Please ensure all information is provided on your application to avoid any delay to your registration. You may be asked to provide additional proof of your identity.

If you are a British citizen living abroad, a Crown Servant, a British Council employee or member of the Armed Forces please see the information contained in the FAQs below.

If you are unable to complete an application online, please contact our office and we can take your details over the phone or issue you with a paper form.

There are statutory deadlines to register to vote at an election.

The only way to check if you are on the electoral register is to contact the Electoral Registration Office direct, this information is not available online. We can only provide details relevant to you, details of other electors cannot be disclosed.

I'm already registered but want to change how I vote (postal/proxy)

Information on Voting by Post or Proxy is available on the Electoral Commission website https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections

FAQs

Who can register to vote

You can register to vote in Scotland if you are:

14 or over
living in Scotland
a British or Irish citizen, or
If you hold EU citizenship (other than Republic of Ireland, Malta and Cyprus) and have permission to enter or remain in the UK, or do not need permission
a Commonwealth citizen or foreign national who has leave to enter or remain in the UK or does not require such leave
a registered Crown Servant, British council employee or member of the armed forces serving overseas
not legally excluded from voting

You can register to vote online. Remember every time you move address you need to register again.

Resident Overseas

New legislation introduced on 16 January 2024 has changed the rules for overseas electors registering to vote. There is now no time limit on when you were last registered to vote in the UK. You can vote in UK Parliament elections.

Further information is available on the Electoral Commission website at https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections

Applications can be made online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Crown Servants and British Council Employees

You can register as a Crown servant or British Council employee if:

you are working outside the UK as a Crown servant or as an employee of the British Council
you are the spouse or registered civil partner of a Crown servant or British Council employee and you accompany them during their employment abroad
your parent or guardian is a Crown servant or British Council employee and you are living abroad with them

You can vote in UK Parliamentary, Scottish Parliamentary and Local Government Elections.

You can apply to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote use the link in the in the section If you're a public servant posted overseas.

Members of the Armed Forces

A member of HM forces and their spouse or civil partner may register as a service voter, although they may choose in certain circumstances to make a registration application as an ordinary elector instead.

In Scotland, a child aged 14 or over whose parent or guardian is a member of HM Forces is also eligible to register as a service voter. They must be living in Scotland or would be living in Scotland if their parent or guardian were not based overseas.

You can vote in UK Parliamentary, Scottish Parliamentary and Local Government Elections.

You can apply to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote use the link in the in the section If you're a public servant posted overseas.

FAQ - No Fixed Address

If you have no fixed address due to one of the following reasons you can still register to vote:

homeless
a patient in a mental health hospital
a merchant seaman
part of the gypsy or travelling community
living on a boat or movable residence
a person remanded in custody

If you have no fixed address and would like assistance to register to vote please contact our office on 0141 287 4444.

Change of Name

To update a change of name on the register please complete the form and provide the relevant documentary evidence. You can download the form by clicking pdf icon here [218kb]

Please note original documents are not required copies are accepted.

You can scan and return your completed form and documents to voters.roll@fs.glasgow.gov.uk

The Open Register

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. If you are aged 16 or over, 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.

You can opt out of the open register when you register to vote. You can also contact us to change your preference at any time.

You can contact us by using the following methods to remove your details from the open register, please ensure you provide your full name and address.

Use our online form to Opt In/Opt Out

Email optout@glasgow.gov.uk

Phone 0141 287 4444