Registering to vote

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Registering to vote online only takes a few minutes, and you’ll only need your date of birth and National Insurance number.

if you can’t find your National Insurance number, you can find how to request it at G OV.UK
if you hold dual nationality, please put your nationality on your application as British. This gives you the right to vote in every election, which may not be the case with your other nationality
if you don’t have access to the internet at home, you can register by post or by phoning us on the number below.

Poll cards

Poll cards are hand delivered in the run-up to elections.

If it gets close to voting day and you haven't received your card, you can check if you're registered to vote by calling Electoral Services on 020 8496 3000.

You don't need to take your poll card with you to vote.

How long does it take to get registered? Click to get info

Applications are dealt with as quickly as possible, however they can take up to six weeks to process, as a statutory timetable must be followed.

Am I eligible to vote? Click to get info

Find out whether you are eligible to register here.

I am a student. Which address do I use to register? Click to get info

Students may register at their term-time address, their home address or both. However, it is important to remember that, even if you register at two addresses, you can only vote once in each election.

Find out about registering and voting as a student.

I am in the armed forces. How do I register to vote? Click to get info

HM armed forces voters living in the United Kingdom can choose to register as an ordinary elector, by completing of an application to register in the normal manner.

Alternatively, if you are posted abroad, or are likely to be so in the next year, you (and your wife, husband or civil partner) have the option of making a service declaration. This means you will remain registered for five years. After that period, your registration must be renewed.

The electoral services team will write to remind you when your re-registration is required.

If you need to register as an HM armed forces elector (or their wife, husband or civil partner) in this way, you can find more information, including the necessary application form.

Can I register if I do not have a permanent address? Click to get info

Anyone without a permanent address can register in the area where they spend a substantial part of their time, even if that is not a permanent residential address.

You need a special form to do this, which you can get by emailing Electoral Services.

Alternatively, you can contact Waltham Forest Council on 020 8496 3000 between 9am-5pm Monday-Friday.

My details have changed. Do I need to let you know? Click to get info

Yes. If any of your details have changed; for example, if you have changed your name, you will need to let us know, so that we can update your registration.

Please email any changes to Electoral Services with the words Amend my details in the subject heading. Please include:

your full name and address
details of any changes you want us to make; and
if you can, any supporting documentation you have; for example, a scanned copy of a marriage certificate to evidence a change of name

We will respond by email within five working days.

We can make some changes straight away, but may sometimes need to send you a form to complete and return.

When I register to vote, will my details be passed on to lots of marketing companies? Click to get info

Your registration details are only made available to others in limited circumstances, and only when the law requires us to share your information.

There are two versions of the electoral register: the electoral (or full) version and the open (or edited) version.

You can find more information about both registers and how they may be used on GOV.UK.

I need to get official confirmation of my registration status. What do I need to do? Click to get info

See our electoral register page for details of the kind of evidence that we can give, and how you can obtain this.

Can I register to vote in the United Kingdom if I live abroad? Click to get info

If you’re a British citizen, you can register as an overseas elector for a period of fifteen years after the last year in which your name (or the name of you parent(s), if you left the UK before reaching the age of eighteen) last appeared in the electoral register as living in the UK.

To register to vote in Waltham Forest, your last registration must have been at an address within the borough. If your last registered address was elsewhere, you will need to register with that local authority.

You will then be entitled to vote at UK Parliamentary and European Parliamentary elections and national referenda, but not in Local Government elections or referenda (i.e. to the London Borough of Waltham Forest, for the Mayor of London or to the Greater London Assembly).

Once an application has been approved, it must be renewed every year. The Electoral Services team will write to you to remind you when your re-registration is required.

Find out how to register as an overseas elector on the GOV.UK website.