How to Register to Vote
If you want to be able to vote in elections and referendums, you need to be registered to vote. You are now responsible for registering yourself. So, if your circumstances change e.g., if you move house or your change your name, it’s important that you re-register as soon as possible.
You can register to vote on the Government Online Registration Site - You must provide your name, address, date of birth and national insurance number. Providing this information makes the registration process more secure.
Although your name may be on the Electoral Register, you’re not under any legal obligation to vote in any election, unless you wish to do so. However, you cannot vote unless you are on the register.
For more information about registering to vote please see our Frequently Asked Questions which appear at the bottom of this page.
Overseas Electors
From 16 January 2024, the 15-year limit on voting rights for British citizens living overseas has been removed, and the registration period for these voters has been extended from one year to three. This means that overseas voters will only need to register to vote every three years.
Any British citizen living abroad who has previously lived in, or been registered to vote in the UK, have the right to vote at UK Parliamentary elections. 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.
If you are a British or eligible Irish citizen living overseas who has previously lived in the UK or been registered to vote in the UK, you can register to vote in UK Parliamentary elections.
The changes to voting from overseas which now apply are:
- You can register to vote if you previously lived in the UK but were not registered to vote.
- You can register to vote in the UK no matter how long ago you left or were last registered to vote.
- Your overseas declaration is now valid for three years, lasting until 1 November in the third year after it takes effect (for example, if your declaration takes effect on 1 March 2024, it will expire on 1 November 2026).
- You can now register online at Register to vote - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you are an overseas voter who registered to vote before 16 January 2024, you will need to renew your registration when your declaration expires. If you applied for a proxy vote before 31 October 2023, this will expire on 31 January 2024, and you will need to reapply for a proxy vote.
If you have a postal vote you will need to re-apply when your overseas declaration expires. The Electoral Services team will contact you before your declaration expires.
The Register of Electors is a list of everyone who is registered to vote and shows what elections and referendums they can vote in. Not everyone whose name appears on the Register has the right to vote at all elections and referendums.
The electoral register is published annually on 1 December and monthly updates are normally published on the first of each month. But where the first of the month falls on a weekend or a public holiday the register will be published on the next working day after the weekend or the public holiday.
The Electoral Registration Officer keeps two registers – the electoral register and the open register (also known as the edited register).
The Electoral Register
The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections. The register is used for electoral purposes, such as making sure only eligible people can vote. It may be shared with Electoral Registration Officers for other areas for the purpose of verifying the accuracy of electoral registers.
It may also be shared with the Registrar General of Births Deaths and Marriages for the purposes of:
- compiling and publishing statistical information with respect to the number and conditions of the population in the interval between one census and another.
- improving the quality and accuracy of future Censuses.
- compiling non-disclosive statistics on number of individuals who have not registered to vote.
- producing electoral registration statistics.
It is also used for other limited purposes set out in the law, such as detecting crime (e.g. fraud), calling people for jury service and checking credit applications.
The open register is an extract of the electoral register but isn’t used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it’s used by businesses and charities to confirm names and addresses. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register doesn’t affect your right to vote.
If you wish to change your open register choice, please complete the form linked below. We will write to you once we’ve changed your open register status. The letter will confirm the change we’ve made and will tell you when a new version of the register, reflecting your request, will be published.
If you have received a poll card for an upcoming election or referendum and your circumstances have not changed, you will be on the register for that election or referendum and do not need to re-register.
Otherwise, you will need to either view the Electoral Register at one of the places detailed below or contact the Electoral Registration office directly. The Register of Electors is not published online.
Please note that we can only provide details relevant to you - details of other electors cannot be disclosed.
If you’ve opted out of the open register, we can’t confirm your details over the phone.
You can view a current copy of the electoral register, under supervision at:
- Your local ON Fife library
- Electoral Registration Office, Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes
- Fife Council Local Services Centres
If you can’t see your name on the register, for example, if you’ve recently moved house, you can register to vote on the Government's website. You must provide your name, address, date of birth and national insurance number. Providing this information makes the registration process more secure.
You will receive a letter from the Electoral Registration Officer confirming your registration and your method of voting. You will subsequently receive a poll card for any election called whilst you remain registered at that address.
If you have chosen to vote at a polling station, you will receive a poll card before the election telling you where and when to vote. The polling station will be a public building (e.g. hall or community centre). The poll card is for your information only; you do not need to take it to the polling station in order to vote, although it will help if you do.
All information on the annual canvass can be found on our Annual canvass page.
Back To TopUseful Contacts
Electoral Registration Enquiries
Lindsay Thomson - Electoral Registration Officer
Electoral Registration Office, Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5LT
Tel. 03451 55 55 11 or email voters.roll@fife.gov.uk
