Register to vote

You are responsible for registering yourself to vote.

How to register to vote

The deadline to register to vote for the local government elections on Thursday 7 May 2026, is Monday 20 April 2026.

The quickest and easiest way to register is online.

If you are unable to register to vote online we can either:

register you over the phone by telephoning 0191 5205550
email us with your name and address to [email protected]

You will need to provide your National Insurance number as part of your application.

If you are unable to supply your National Insurance number, we may contact you to ask for further information to confirm your identity.

There is easy ready guides available on how to register to vote at Mencap

Who can register to vote

To register to vote, you must be aged 16 or over (but you can't vote until you're 18 years old), and one of the following:

A UK or Irish citizen
Commonwealth citizen (including Maltese and Cypriot) who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who does not need permission
Qualifying European Union (EU) citizens - citizens of EU countries which the UK has a shared Voting and Candidacy Rights (VCR) treaty with. These countries include in this list are:
- Luxembourg
- Poland
- Portugal
- Spain
- Denmark

EU citizens with retained rights - citizens from any other EU country who have been legally resident in the UK since before the UK left the EU on 31 December 2020.

EU citizens can vote in local council elections only.

Permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man (also called Leave to Enter or Remain) refers to a legal immigration status.

You can use the simple tool to find out if you are eligible to vote at Can I Vote?

You can't register to vote if you are in the UK illegally.

My details have changed

Changed name, address, nationality or register preference

You can use the Register to vote through Gov.uk service to:

change your name, address or nationality
get on or off the open electoral register

To do this, you need to register again with your new details (even if you're already registered to vote).

You are not automatically registered to vote by other contact you have had with the council, such as when you register for council tax.

Why should I register to vote

To be able to vote in elections, you must be registered.

If you aren't registered to vote:

you won't have the chance to have a say on who represents you
you may find it harder to get a loan, mortgage, finance agreement, or even a mobile phone contract as the electoral register is used by credit reference agencies as part of their checks.

I am a student

You may register at both your home address and college or university address.

It is not an offence to register twice, but it is an offence to vote more than once in the same election.

Special category electors

Special arrangements apply for some voters such as:

Label
British citizens living abroad (Overseas)
1. If you are a British citizen living abroad, you can vote in UK Parliamentary Elections. You can register to vote regardless of how long you have lived outside the UK. You must re-register every 3 years.
  You must apply to the last council with whom you were registered before moving abroad.
  If you were too young to register when you left the UK, your parent or guardian must have been registered. Voting when living abroad.
Service personnel and their spouses
1. Service personnel and their spouses have the choice of registering annually as an ordinary voter, or by way of a service declaration. Service declarations last for five years.
Crown servants or British council employees
1. Crown servants or British council employees working outside the UK can still register to vote. The spouse of a crown servant or British council employee accompanying them during their employment abroad can also register under these arrangements.
Homeless people
1. Homeless people may register at the address or place where they spend a substantial part of their time either during the day or at night.
Remand prisoners
1. Remand prisoners may register at the institution where they are currently resident or at the address, they would have been resident or have previously lived.
Mental health patients
1. Sunderland City Council does not currently operate any Additional or Selective Licensing schemes for rental properties.
Anonymously registered electors
1. You can apply to be entered anonymously on the electoral register if you feel being publicly identifiable could affect your safety.
  Reasons for that could be you are:
  
  escaping from domestic violence
  
  in a job that requires you to keep your identity private
  
  If your application is accepted, your name and address will not be shown.
  Anyone living with you can also apply to be registered to vote in this way.
  
  Applications for anonymous registration must be accompanied by either a:
  
  court order or injunction
  
  supporting statement (attestation) from a specific group of people
  
  People who can provide an attestation are:
  
  a police officer of or above the rank of superintendent in any police force in the UK
  
  the director general of the security services or the Serious Organised Crime Agency
  
  a director of adult social services or children's services in England
  
  a director of social services in Wales
  
  a chief social work officer in Scotland
  
  a director of social services or an executive director of social work in Northern Ireland
  
  The qualifying officer does not have to be based in the same area as you.
  For more information on registering anonymously see register to vote anonymously on the Electoral Commission.

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