​​​Register to Vote

Who is eligible to register?

• ​​​You have to be 18 or over and a resident in the electoral area.
• You must be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of a European Union country.

How do I get my name on the Electoral Register?

The way you register to vote is changing. The responsibility is now with the individual for registering. Under the old system the 'head of every household' could register everyone who lived at their address. You need to provide a few more details to register, including your national insurance number and date of birth. This makes the electoral register more secure

electoral registration form »

• If you can’t find your national insurance number, please visit: www.gov.uk/lost-national-insurance-number.
• For privacy information visit:
  • HBC Elections Service Privacy Notice.
  • https://www.registertovote.service.gov.uk/register-to-vote/privacy.

If you have moved within the Halton area we will remove your name from your previous address on the Electoral Register. However, if you have moved from a different Council area, we will inform the previous Electoral Registration Officer once you are registered on Halton's Electoral Register.

There are special rules about being added to the voter's list during an election period which may mean you are not able to vote at that election.

What are the deadlines for electoral registration?

Please note that the deadline to register for an election is now 11 working days before the day of the poll.

Why should I register?

• The information is required by law.
• If you do not register you cannot exercise your democratic right to vote in any election.
• If you are not listed on the register you may have difficulty applying for a loan, credit card, mortgage or bank account as the register is used by credit reference agencies.
• The electoral register is used to appoint people for jury service.

Postal Voting

Any person on the register can apply for a postal vote. The deadline for applications is 11 working days before the day of an election.

• Apply for a postal vote or fill in the Postal Vote Application Form
• Information about priority post boxes can be found at: www.royalmail.com/priority-postboxes​

Proxy Voting

As an alternative to postal voting, you can appoint someone to vote on your behalf (proxy voting). If you already have a postal vote and wish to change to a proxy you must notify the Elections Office 11 working days before the poll. The deadline for new proxy applications is 6 working days before the day of an election.

• Apply to vote by proxy or fill in the Proxy Vote Application Form
• You can also apply for a disability emergency form or occupation emergency form
• A video guide to Absent Voting 

What information is on the register?

The Electoral Registration Officer has two versions of the register - the full register and the edited register.

The full register lists the name and address of everyone who is registered to vote. The Council holds a copy. Anyone can look at it, but it is a criminal offence to supply or use copies for purposes other than those set down by law. Credit reference agencies can use it to check your name and address if you are applying for credit. It can also be used for law enforcement.

The edited register is available for general sale and can be used for any purpose. The edited register can be bought by any person, company or organisation and can be used for commercial activities such as marketing. You can choose whether or not to appear on the edited register.

How can I view the register?

You can view the current electoral register, under supervision, for the whole borough at Libraries.