Register to vote
The quickest and easiest way to register is to complete a form online:
- visit www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
- fill in your name, address, date of birth, nationality, national insurance number. Your national insurance number can be found on your National Insurance card or in official paperwork such as payslips or letters about benefits or tax credits - (find a lost national insurance number or apply for a national insurance number).
- when your information is verified, we will send you an acknowledgment letter. However, where an entry did not match other national databases, it is the duty of the ERO to request further evidence to support the registration. We are legally bound to follow new procedures as set out in the Electoral Registration and Administration Act 2013.
No access to the internet? You can ring the office on 020 7364 5000 and provide the information over the telephone or we can send you an application through the post.
Who can register
To be included in the Tower Hamlets Register of Electors, you must be:
- 16 years or over (but you can’t vote until you’re 18 years old).
- A British or Irish citizen
- a qualifying Commonwealth citizen living in the UK.
- A citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain or a citizen of other EU country, if you have had permission to enter or stay - or not needed permission - since 31 December 2020, and this has continued without a break.
Download list of eligible countries.
Specific rules apply if you're
Your personal information
We will only use the information you give us for electoral purposes. We will look after personal information securely and we will follow the Data Protection Act 1998 and more recently the new General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). We will not give personal information about you and the other people in your household to anyone else or another organisation unless we have to by law.
Read the electoral services privacy notice for more information.
Confirmation of registration
If you require confirmation that your name appears on the current Register of Electors, please contact the office on 020 7364 5000 or email vote@towerhamlets.gov.uk and make a request.
Answers to frequently asked questions
There are two registers. Why?
How do I get included or removed from the open register?
How do I change my name on the electoral register?
How do I change my address on the electoral register?
Can I register in more than one place?
What happens if I don’t register?
There are two registers. Why?
Using information received from the public, registration officers keep two registers – the electoral register and the open register (also known as the edited register).
The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections. The register is used for electoral purposes, such as making sure only eligible people can vote. It is also used for other limited purposes specified in law, such as detecting crime (e.g. fraud), calling people for jury service and checking credit applications.
The open register is an extract of the electoral register but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote.
You can find more information about both registers and how they may be used on the legislation website.
How do I get included or removed from the open register?
If you are registering online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote, you can click in the box if you want your name and address to be removed from the open register.
You can also change your preference at any time by making a request to: vote@towerhamlets.gov.uk providing your full name, address and state whether you wish to be included or removed from the open register.
How do I change my name on the electoral register
You will need to provide proof of change of name if you have recently married or changed your name by deed poll. You can contact the Electoral Services Office by email vote@towerhamlets.gov.uk or call the helpline on 020 7364 5000.
How do I change my postcode on the electoral register?
You need to register to vote every time you move home.
- Register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or
- you can ring the office on 020 7364 5000 and provide the information over the telephone or we can send you a new registration application form through the post.
Can I register in more than one place?
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.
- Students living away from home may register to vote at both their term time and home address. A student who has a permanent home address and a term-time address can be lawfully registered at both addresses. If an elector is registered to vote in two different electoral areas, they are eligible to vote in local elections for the two different local councils. However, it is an offence to vote twice in any one election.
What happens if I don't register?
If you meet the conditions for registering to vote (e.g., you’re 16 or over and you’re British, Irish or a national of a European Union or Commonwealth country) and you’re invited to register, you have to do so.
If you’re invited to register and don’t do so, your local Electoral Registration Officer could impose a civil penalty fine of £80.
You won’t be fined if you have a valid reason for not registering, e.g. a long stay in hospital, not eligible due to nationality or you have severe learning difficulties.