Register to vote
Register to vote on GOV.UK website
If you cannot use the form, register by calling the Electoral Registration Office at the Lothian Valuation Joint Board.
- 0131 344 2500
- Lothian Valuation Joint Board
You may not be eligible to vote in every election.
Vote in person, by post or by proxy
If you can't vote in person, visit Absent voting - voting by post or proxy to apply for:
- A postal vote.
- Someone to vote on your behalf, known as a proxy vote. If you miss the deadline, for instance due to a medical emergency or you have been called away at short notice by work, you can contact the Electoral Registration Office to see if you can get an emergency proxy vote. You have until 5pm on polling day to apply for an emergency proxy vote.
You can apply on the GOV.UK website for a postal vote for UK Westminster General Elections.
Voter ID
In the UK you are legally required to show photo identification (ID) when voting at a polling station at some elections, including UK General Elections but not the Scottish Parliament Election. You can check which elections require photo ID and which forms of ID are accepted on the Electoral Commission website or watch the video below.
If you do not have ID
If you do not have any of the forms of ID accepted, you can still vote. You must be registered and you can apply for free voter ID. Find out more on the Electoral Commission website or watch the video below.
Overseas voters
- British and eligible Irish citizens living overseas can register to vote in the UK no matter how long ago they left or were last registered to vote in the UK.
- Overseas declarations are valid for three years, lasting until 1 November in the third year after it takes effect (for example, if the declaration takes effect on 1 March 2024, it will expire on 1 November 2026).
- British and eligible Irish citizens living overseas can now register online