Registering to vote: a step-by-step guide

Registering to vote sounds much more complicated than it is. Now, you can do it all online! You can register on your laptop, ipad or smartphone, and it really only takes 5 minutes.

1. First, go to https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
2. You’ll need to fill in your basic information, such as your full name, nationality, date of birth and address
3. Then, you’ll be asked for your National Insurance Number. You can find your National Insurance number on your payslip or on letters from the Government about benefits, tax or pensions
4. Third parties can buy the open electoral register. If you don’t want them to contact you, you can decide not to have your name and address on the open register. 
5. You’ll be asked if you want to apply for a postal vote. This allows you to vote from the comfort of your own home!
6. Finally, you’ll be asked how you’d like to be contacted if the government have any questions about your application.

You can still register to vote even if you do not have a fixed address – you can find more info and the form here. This could be because: 

• you are homeless or have no fixed address
• you are a person who has been remanded in custody, but you have not yet been convicted of any offence
• you are a patient in a mental health hospital

And that’s it! It really is that simple. So make sure you register to vote during London Voter Registration Week, and encourage your friends and family to do the same.