Register to Vote
The deadline to Register to Vote for the 2 May Elections is Tuesday 16 April 2024.
To be eligible to vote in Elections and Referendums you must be registered to vote. The quickest way to do this is by visiting the GOV.UK website.
To register you'll need to provide your Date of Birth and your National Insurance number. We use this information to verify your identity with the Department of Work and Pensions. If you have difficulty finding your National Insurance number, you can find more information here.
Your name will appear on the electoral register on the first working day of the month after your completed application. Once you are registered, you will only need to re-register if you move address.
Who can register?
- 16 or over (although you can’t vote until you are 18)
- A British, Irish, Commonwealth or EU Citizen living in the UK
- British citizens living overseas that have resided in the UK within the previous 15 years
Why register?
- If you're not on the Electoral Register, you're not eligible to vote in any elections and referenda in the UK
- By law you must be registered to vote or you could face a fine)
- If you are not on the Electoral Register, you may find it more difficult to get a loan, mortgage, finance agreement or a mobile phone as credit reference agencies will use the register as part of their checks
Overseas Electors
You can register as an overseas voter if you are a British citizen living abroad. If you have previously been registered to vote or lived in the United Kingdom, you'll be eligible to vote in Parliamentary General Elections and applicable Referenda. You can register to vote through the Government website Once you have registered to vote, you will be allocated a Polling Station in the Tameside Borough.
You'll need to complete an additional application, depending on your requirements:
- Voting by Proxy: You can arrange for another person to vote on your behalf, a proxy voter. They can visit your Polling Station on the day of the election to cast a vote on your behalf. The nominated proxy must be on an electoral register, which can be in another Borough.
- Voting by Post: A postal vote can be sent to your overseas address. You should consider the time it takes for you to receive your vote and return it back to us before election day. You cannot change your voting method if your ballot papers are delayed or get lost in the post. Postal votes cannot be emailed.
If you are an overseas elector, your registration will now be valid for up to 3 years, lasting until the 1 November in the third year from registration date.
If you are an overseas voter who registered to vote before 16 January 2024, you will need to renew your registration by completing a form and returning to elections office when your declaration expires. If you applied for a proxy vote before 31 October 2023, this will have expired on 31 January 2024 and you should reapply for a proxy vote if necessary.
If you have a long-term postal vote that you applied for before 31 October 2023, this will now expire on 31 January 2026. The elections office will contact you before your postal vote expires.
Register to vote if you’re in the Armed Forces
If you are in the armed forces you have the option register as a service voter or as a standard voter.You’ll need to let us know your correspondence address as well as a previous address. We’ll also need your Service Category as well as your Service Number.
We’ll get in touch with you each year to confirm the information we hold is still correct and if you could provide us with an email address it will help to speed the process up.
Register to vote with no fixed address
You can still register to vote if you do not have a permanent fixed address. This includes people who are:
- Homeless
- Receiving care in a mental health hospital
- Remanded in custody
You will need to complete a form or contact the Elections Office for further assistance.
Students
If you are a student you can register at two properties, as long as they’re not within the same Local Authority.Students can vote in local elections for both addresses. However, for a national election you only get one vote however you may receive polling cards from both Local Authorities. Voting more than once in a national election is a criminal offence.
Anonymous Registration
Any person not wishing for their name and address to appear on the register can apply to be registered anonymously. If you are registered anonymously, a code will be added to the register instead of your name and address. You will still receive poll cards as normal when registered anonymously. We will write to anonymous electors annually to confirm the details we hold are still accurate.Contact information
Dukinfield
Town Hall
King Street
Dukinfield
SK16 4LA