Not sure if you’re eligible to register to vote in the UK? Further information available on the Gov.uk website
Step by Step easy read guide on registering to vote
From May 2023, you will also need to take voter identification with you to the polling station before you can receive your ballot paper. More on Voter ID
Yes you can vote in British Parliamentary General Elections
If you split your time between two homes, you may be able to register to vote at both addresses. For example, you might own two properties and split your time between them, or you might spend time at different family addresses.
If you apply to register to vote from your second home, then your application will be looked at on a case by case basis. The outcome will depend on the amount of time you spend at each of your addresses.
Being registered at two addresses doesn’t necessarily mean you get two votes.
You will need to choose one address and vote in only that area when you’re voting in:
- UK Parliament elections
- UK referendums
- London Assembly and London Mayoral elections
You can’t vote at both addresses at these elections. Voting in more than one location is a criminal offence.
For other elections you can vote at both addresses.
You can choose to vote in either or both areas (as long as the addresses are in different council areas) when you’re voting in:
- Local council elections in England
- Police and Crime commissioner elections and mayoral elections
Make sure you understand the rules for the election you are voting in.
A student who has a permanent home address and a term-time address can be lawfully registered at both addresses. Being registered at both your home address and your term-time addresses doesn’t necessarily mean you get two votes.
You will need to choose one address and vote in only that area when you’re voting in:
- UK Parliament elections
- UK referendums
- London Assembly and London Mayoral elections
You can’t vote at both your term-time address and your home address at these elections. Voting in more than one location is a criminal offence.
For other elections you can vote at both your term-time and your home address.
You can choose to vote in either or both areas (as long as the addresses are in different council areas) when you’re voting in:
- Local council elections in England
- Police and Crime commissioner elections and mayoral elections
Make sure you understand the rules for the election you are voting in as it is an offence to vote twice in any one election. Such an offence could result in a fine of up to £5,000.
Yes, you can register as a service voter if you are a member of the armed forces or the spouse or civil partner of someone in the armed forces.
If you do not have a fixed address, you can still have your say at elections.
You can register vote by completing a Declaration of Local Interest registration form which can be found here.
View more information on the the Electoral Commission website
The Electoral Register is updated once a month but it may take longer to be registered.
Click here to view the monthly publishing dates.
You can request that you be opted out at any time by contacting the Electoral Services Team on 01892 602407 or by emailing Elections. You must make it clear that you wish to opt out of the open register, and include your full name and address.
If you are concerned that having your name or address on the register may affect your safety, there could be other options available to you. In certain circumstances, you can register without your name and address showing on the register.
Further information on the full and open register can be found here.
The full electoral register is used by credit reference agencies to update information held on individuals’ credit reference files.
The full register is not the same as the open register which can be bought by any person, company or organisation.
Being included in, or excluded from, the open register does not affect your credit score.
How often is data supplied to credit reference agencies?
The electoral register is updated at the start of each month and supplied to credit reference agencies shortly after publication.
If you have made a recent application to register to vote in Wealden, check how long it takes to see when you will be added to the electoral register.
Once your details are included in the electoral register you will usually need to allow a few weeks for this to be reflected on your credit file.
The credit reference agency I’ve been dealing with has asked for proof of my electoral registration
Please contact us on 01892 602407 or email Elections to request a letter of confirmation of your registration. The letter must be sent by post to you at your registered address and cannot be emailed.
The current Open Register of electors is available for public inspection (by appointment only) at our Council offices between 10.00am and 4.00pm, Monday to Friday.
Electors can choose to opt out of being included in the Open Register of electors. The Open Register, therefore, only includes the names of those electors who have not opted out.
You cannot search the register by elector name. It is published alphabetically in address order within polling districts. We can advise you which polling districts contain certain streets.
The Open Register of electors is a public document. You can only inspect it under supervision at the council offices, where you will only be able to make handwritten notes of its contents – by law you are not allowed to use these for any direct marketing purposes.
Please telephone 01892 602407 or email Elections to make an appointment to view the Open Register.
To access previous electoral registers, we require a subject access request in writing which must include your name, current address and the previous address/es and dates you believe you have been registered there. This allows us to check the historic registers and provide you with a subject access letter which you will need to collect from Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2AX.
We will contact you when the letter is ready to collect and you will need to provide photo ID on collection.
When you arrive at the polling station, a member of staff will:
- Welcome you and ask for your poll card, scan the QR code on the poll card and will ask you to confirm your name and address. You do not need your poll card to vote, but it will speed the process up if you bring it along with you
- Ask for your photo ID and check it is acceptable
- If your ID is acceptable, they will give you your ballot paper and direct you to complete it in a polling booth as usual
A privacy screen will be available at the polling station, so you can choose to have your photo ID viewed in private if you like.
First time voter’s guide
Selfies, disabilities, cats, and doggies … voting throws up all sorts of questions and can sometimes feel confusing. There can be a lot of unclear and old-fashioned words and explanations and it’s easy to feel a bit overwhelmed. To help make things a bit easier, watch this short video and then click on the links below to find out more.
Welcome to Your Vote – Your Vote – England
Remember, staff at the polling station are there to help. If you need assistance at any point, just ask.
You will be sent a poll card just before an election or referendum telling you when to vote and at which polling station.
You can only vote at the polling station location on your card.
Having your poll card does help the staff to find you on the register much more quickly and therefore, reduces the waiting time so it is useful if you have it with you. However, you can still vote if you’ve lost your poll card.
Every polling station in the Wealden District Council area has the following available:
- A device to enable blind or partially sighted voters to vote unaided
- At least one large-print version of the ballot paper displayed inside each station to assist partially sighted voters
- Any voter with physical disabilities who is unable to vote without assistance or who is unable to read may be assisted by the Presiding Officer at the polling station.
- Most polling stations in the Wealden area are wheelchair accessible. Where this is not possible the Presiding Officer can take the voters ballot paper to them outside the polling station allowing them to vote in private. The voter may also have a companion with them as well as the Presiding Officer.
If you do not have any of the accepted photo ID, and you want to vote at the polling station, you will need to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. This is a free photographic identification document specific for the purposes of voting.
If you look totally different on your ID, we recommend that you apply for Voter Authority Certificate before the application deadline to prevent you from not being able to vote.
Voters who do not produce a Voter Authority Certificate, or valid identification will not be allowed to vote on polling day.
Please do not apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if you already have an acceptable form of ID such as a passport or driving licence.
Changing your name
If you have recently changed your name, and you need to update your name on the electoral register, please visit Gov.uk and complete an application with your new details.
Alternatively, you can complete a change of name form, but you will need to provide us with a copy of one of the following documents:
- marriage or civil partnership certificate
- overseas marriage or civil partnership certificate
- amended birth certificate
- deed poll
To request a change of name form, contact us at elections@wealden.gov.uk
Changing your nationality
If you have gained new citizenship or changed your nationality since you have last registered to vote, you should let us know. The changes to your citizenship or nationality may affect your eligibility to vote in some elections and you might need to re-register to vote.
You can inform us of this change by providing your full name and address, as well as a copy of one of the following documents:
- Passport
- Certificate of naturalisation
Alternatively, you can submit a new application to register to vote online.
If you hold dual citizenship, please list the nationality that grants you more voting rights. For more information on the types of elections you may be eligible to vote in, please click here.
Please return your paperwork either:
- as scanned attachments in an email to elections@wealden.gov.uk. Please ensure that the images are legible.
- or by post to us at Electoral Services, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, BN27 2AX.
Once you have registered to vote by post, you will receive a postal pack complete with instructions on how to complete it. This video explains how to complete your postal vote before sending it back to us: How to complete your postal vote
Please note:
- Postal voters must reapply to vote by post every 3 years.
The renewal process will be starting late 2025/2026 and we will be contacting electors who need to renew their postal vote. You can also submit a new application online to renew your postal vote.
- It is an offence for Political Campaigners to handle certain postal votes.
- There will be a limit on the number of postal vote packs that a person can hand in at a polling station. When handing in postal votes, you will be asked to complete and sign a form with your details.
Applications need to be renewed every 3 years and the renewal process will be starting late 2025/2026. We will be contacting electors who need to renew their postal vote. You can also submit a new application online to renew your postal vote.
To cancel your postal vote so that you can vote in person at your polling station, you will need to provide a letter confirming that you wish to cancel your postal vote and include your name, full address and your signature which must match your original application.
At busy periods such as Polling Days we rely on a pool of dedicated additional staff to support the democratic process.
If you would like to apply for future Elections please contact the Elections Team on 01892 602407 for an informal chat or you can apply online where you can also find further information on the jobs available.