Registering To Vote

How do I register to vote in national and local elections and referendums?

Most people register to vote between September and November every year when we deliver a registration form to your home. This is known as the 'annual canvass'. You can also register throughout the year as the electoral register is updated every month.

PLEASE NOTE THAT WE ARE NOW IN THE ANNUAL UPDATE PHASE. NO MONTHLY UPDATES WILL NOW BE DONE. DO NOT USE THE FORM ON THIS WEBSITE - ALL PROPERTIES WILL HAVE A FORM DELIVERED OVER LATE AUGUST AND EARLY SEPTEMBER. PLEASE USE THAT ONE. IF YOU DO NOT GET ONE PLEASE CONTACT THE ELECTIONS OFFICE.

THE NEXT UPDATE TO THE REGISTER WILL THEREFORE BE ON 1ST DECEMBER 2009.

Visit our How To Apply page and use our interactive form to register to vote. You will still need to sign the form so you will have to print it off and then deliver or post it to us using the contact details on the right of this page.

Voting registration application forms can be posted or delivered by hand to address above.

I have recently moved to Oxford but was registered to vote at my previous address. Do I need to re-register to vote in Oxford?

Yes, you should re-register to vote everytime you move house. You are now able to change your registration details every time you move, and not just once a year. If you have filled in and returned an annual canvass registration form since you moved to your new home, you do not need to register again.

If you move during the annual canvass then you should complete the annual canvass forms to reflect your address on 15 October. If you move after you have completed the annual canvass form then visit "How to Apply page" (link on the right-hand side of this page) and fill in our online interactive form or contact us for an application form.

Who can register to vote and why do I need to register?

You need to be on the electoral register to vote in all UK elections and referendums. You are not automatically registered even if you pay council tax. Not being registered may also affect your credit rating.

You can register to vote if you are:

• 16 or over (but you can't vote until you are 18)
• British, Irish Republic, Commonwealth or European Union citizen living in the UK

If you are 16 or 17, you can only register to vote if you will be 18 within the lifetime of the electoral register. This year's register lasts from 1 December 2007 to 30 November 2008. You cannot vote until you are 18.

I'm a student living in Oxford, should I register to vote here or at home?

Students are entitled to register at both their home address and their university address. Although it is an offence to vote more than once in a national election, you can vote in local elections at both of your addresses.   

EXCEPT: if the student's home address is in the same local authority area as the university address, for example if their parents' home was in Headington and university address in Jericho, it would be an offence to vote twice in the City elections. Likewise if their parents' home was in Abingdon, say, and their term address was west Oxford, it would be an offence for them to vote twice in a County Council election.

I have just registered to vote in Oxford, how long will it take for my vote to become valid?

Applications received before the middle of the month will appear from the first working day of the following month. The only exceptions to this will be during an election period when no changes can be made to the register and during the annual canvass in the Autumn.

Where can I find out more information on voting and elections?

Visit the About My Vote website for more frequently asked questions on registering to vote, how to vote once you've registered and other useful information on elections and voting.

Visit our Purchase Electoral Data page for information about the electoral register.

Page last reviewed 20 Aug 2008