How to register to vote in the 2024 general election
People only have a few days to register to vote in the 4 July election
There are less than three weeks to go before the general election - and only four days to register to vote.
Nearly half a million applications to vote were submitted in the week to 10 June, the highest number for any seven-day period so far this year.
People have until 11.59pm on Tuesday (18 June) to register for the 4 July poll. Here, Yahoo News UK outlines how to do so.
How do I register?
To vote in the election you will need to register on the government’s website via an online form. The site advises it will take five minutes to fill in the form and you will need to supply your national insurance number.
You must be over the age of 16 and be a British citizen to register to vote in England, or 14 and above in Scotland and Wales. However, you must be 18 or over to vote in a general election.
If you're a British citizen moving or living abroad, you can register to vote in the normal way. People in Northern Ireland need to register with a paper form.
The deadline to register to vote in this general election is Tuesday, 18 June.
How do I apply for a postal or proxy vote?
Once you are registered to vote, you can also apply for a postal vote via the government website if you can't get to the polling booth on 4 July.
You can also apply for someone to vote on your behalf by applying for a proxy vote, although the person casting a vote on your behalf must also be registered to vote.
Voters in Northern Ireland can apply for postal or proxy votes via the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland site.
The deadline to apply for a postal vote is Wednesday, 19 June, while the deadline for applying for a proxy vote is Wednesday, 26 June.
Will I need voter ID?
Anyone wanting to vote in the general election will need to provide voter ID when voting in person at a polling booth. This must include a photo to be valid and it will still be valid even if the ID has expired.
Voters will need one of the following:
a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
a driving licence issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands
a UK passport
a passport issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country
a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
a Blue Badge
a biometric residence permit (BRP)
a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90)
a national identity card issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
a Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
a Voter Authority Certificate
an Anonymous Elector’s Document
One of the following travel passes is also acceptable as photo ID:
an older person’s bus pass
a disabled person’s bus pass
an Oyster 60+ card
a Freedom Pass
a Scottish National Entitlement Card (NEC)
a 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
a Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
a Northern Ireland concessionary travel pass
Any photo ID must look like you and the name must match what is written on the electoral register. If your name has changed you must bring documents that prove you have changed your name.
Anyone without photo ID can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for free. This will allow you to vote in the general election but you need to do it by Wednesday, 26 June.
What about constituency changes?
The upcoming general election will be the first since extensive boundary changes to the country’s constituencies were brought in. The new parliamentary constituencies were drawn up by the permanent and independent Boundary Commissions for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
The changes were brought in an attempt to balance out the number of voters in each area. The Conservatives have previously said that an imbalance favoured Labour – in that they needed less votes for an MP to be elected than in other areas where the Tories needed more.
The four Boundary Commissions were obliged to ensure the new constituencies have an electorate within 5% of 73,392, which is the total number of voters on 2 March, 2020 divided by 650: the number of Commons seats.
This now gives all constituencies between 69,724 and 77,062 voters with just five “island seats” exempt – Orkney and Shetland, Na h-Eileanan an Iar (Western Islands) in Scotland, Ynys Mon (Anglesey) in North Wales and the two seats allocated to the Isle of Wight.
The changes mean England is allocated 543 seats, an increase of 10. Wales will have 32 seats, a reduction of eight. Scotland will have 57, down two. Northern Ireland remains unchanged with 18.
What are we voting for?
While much of the country may be experiencing a mild case of election fatigue following local and mayoral elections at the start of May, the general election is a much bigger affair. Every registered voter will now have a say – and it will be about more than just bin collections and potholes.
The general election will be the moment that Britain decides who will ultimately be the next prime minister. While there are several parties standing, the nature of Britain’s voting system essentially means it will either be Rishi Sunak remaining as PM or Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer taking over the role.
However, while it may feel like voters are making a choice over who they want to be prime minister, voters are actually voting only for the person they wish to represent them as an MP in the House of Commons.
Whichever party wins the most MPs will then likely form the next government – providing they secure a majority. If not, the largest party will either try to form a minority government with an understanding of support in votes from political allies or enter into an official coalition with another party.
All four nations will be represented in the general election. However, the devolved nations hold their own, separate elections at other times. In these elections, voters in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are not voting for MPs to send to Westminster. Devolution means people vote for a national Parliament in Scotland, a Welsh Parliament – or Senedd Cymru – and a national Assembly in Northern Ireland.
These devolved parliaments have some levels of power separate from the UK Parliament – which itself has authority over the devolved institutions.
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