Registering and eligibility to vote
Eligible to Vote
To be eligible to vote your name must appear on the Register of Electors. To be added to the Electoral Register for Test Valley Borough Council you must be:
• Resident in the Test Valley Borough area on the date of application.
• A British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of a member state of the European Union. If you are unsure you should refer to the list of Eligible Nationalities.
• 18 years old or over.
There are certain categories of people who will require special arrangements to register.
17 years olds.
If you are 17 years old, you need to complete a registration form as you can vote from the day you are 18.
Students
Students can register at both their home address and their college address. It is not an offence to register twice, but you may only vote once in any particular election.
Citizens of European Member States
Citizens of EU countries, other that the UK, the Irish Republic, Cyprus and Malta, cannot vote in UK Parliamentary elections. You will be eligible to vote in local elections.
Overseas Electors
British and eligible Irish citizens living overseas can register to vote in Parliamentary elections in the UK no matter how long ago they left or were last registered to vote in the UK. These voters will be registered at the constituency where they were last registered to vote, or where they lived if they were not registered to vote before.
To register as an overseas elector you should complete an overseas elector application which can be completed online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or you can contact Electoral Services for further information.
HM Forces
Service personnel have a choice of how they register. You may register annually as an ordinary elector via the canvass form, or every five years as a Service Elector. For more information and an application form to register as a Service voter you should contact your Unit’s Electoral Registration Officer. Alternately you can complete a service voter registration online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Service voter registration rights extend to spouses.
Crown servants/ British Council employees
Diplomats, embassy employees and British council employees may register by way of a service declaration. Applicants must be living outside the UK to register in this way. You can complete a crown servant registration online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Peers
The House of Lords Act 1999 sets out that 90 hereditary peers are members of the House of Lords. Peers may vote at local elections but are barred from voting at UK Parliamentary elections.
Homeless
If you have no fixed abode you may register through local connection at the place where you spend most of your time either during the day or at night. Please contact Electoral Services if you think this may apply to you.
Second Homes
Individuals who reside between two homes may register at both addresses if they are able to satisfy the general residency criteria above. It is not an offence to register twice, but you may only vote once in any particular election.
Convicted Detained Prisoners
Prisoners are not currently eligible to vote.
Prisoners on Remand
Remand prisoners may register at the institution where they are currently residing, or at an address where they would have been resident or had previously lived.
Mental Health Patients
Individuals suffering from a mental disorder who live in the community may register as ordinary electors. Those receiving treatment in a mental hospital or facility may register by way of local connection.
People concerned for their safety
If you are concerned that your name appearing on the Register of Electors would compromise your safety you should contact Electoral Services to discuss further options.
If any of the above alternate arrangements do not apply to you, then to register to vote please visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote and enter your details.