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Who Can Vote in UK Elections

British, qualifying Commonwealth and Republic of Ireland citizens — and the difference between general, devolved and local elections.

You can vote in UK general elections if you are aged 18 or over and a British, qualifying Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland citizen, you are registered on the electoral roll at a UK address, and you are not legally barred (for example, prisoners serving a sentence cannot vote).

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The rules differ for other elections. EU citizens resident in the UK can vote in many local government and devolved elections, as can 16- and 17-year-olds in Scottish and Welsh devolved elections. Indefinite Leave to Remain on its own does not give you the right to vote — only the citizenships listed above do.

To vote you must be on the electoral register at your current address. You can register at gov.uk/register-to-vote and the deadline is normally 12 working days before polling day. Since 2023, voters in Great Britain must also bring an accepted form of photo ID to the polling station.

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