Register to Vote

Annual Canvass

We are currently conducting our annual canvass of all households.

If you receive your communication by post please follow the instructions provided on the canvass form you receive.

If you receive your communication by email please note this will be sent from a gov.uk email address. You will be asked to follow a link to complete your canvass response online at https://www.elecreg.co.uk/glasgow-e

You can also provide a response by phoning our office on 0141 287 4444, our lines are currently open Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

Completing your response promptly will reduce the number of contacts by post, email, phone and property visits we have to make to collect this information.

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

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 - 9am to 5pm, 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)

You will need to complete an application form and provide your personal identifiers: your signature and date of birth.

There are statutory deadlines for applying for and changing an existing postal, proxy or postal proxy vote at an election.

Voting by post

If you wish to vote by post you can download an application form pdf icon here. [683kb]

If you cannot print this form you can email us by clicking here to request a form is posted to you.

Voting by proxy

A proxy vote is where you nominate someone you trust to vote on your behalf at your designated polling station. The person you appoint as your proxy must be a registered elector, qualify to vote in this election and they can only act as a proxy for 2 people other than close relatives.

You need a reason to vote by proxy. The are 2 categories for voting by proxy:

For a specific election: You are unable to attend the polling station on the day of an election.
Long term proxy: for reasons of work, education, or disability.

Here are the application forms to vote by proxy. Please click to download

There are specific application forms for British Citizens living abroad, Crown Servants or British Council Employees and Members of the Armed Forces. Please click to download.

Voting by Postal Proxy

To vote by postal proxy you must already have a proxy vote in place and your proxy has to apply to vote by post. Please call our office for the paperwork to be issued.

How to return application forms

Completed application forms can be returned using the following -

Post - Electoral Registration Office, Glasgow City Council, PO Box 15311, Glasgow, G4 7DL
Email - sent as an attachment to an email to voters.roll@fs.glasgow.gov.uk

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

To qualify as an overseas elector you had to be registered to vote in the UK within the last 15 years. If you were too young to register when you left the UK, your parent or guardian must have been registered.

You can apply to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote use the link in the in the section If you live abroad. You will need to provide the address you were last registered to vote in the UK when completing your application.

You can vote in UK Parliamentary Elections.

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