Voting
The UK has elections for a wide range of different posts, and which elections you can vote in often depends on where you live and your immigration status.
Types of elections in the North West
In the North West if you are eligible and registered you may be able to vote in:
- General Elections – where you will elect a Member of Parliament (MP) to represent your area at the UK National Parliament. The outcome of these elections decides the national Government and who will be Prime Minister.
- Local Elections – these can take different forms. Generally, you will elect local councillors to represent your area at your council level. Local councillors often make decisions on day-to-day issues that impact residents such as roads, waste, parks and social care. These elections can be to:
- Metropolitan Borough Councils
- Unitary Authorities
- District Councils
- County Councils
- Directly Elected City Mayors
- Directly Elected Metro-Mayors
- Town, Parish or Community Councils
- Police and Crime Commissioners – in some areas you can directly elect your Police and Crime Commissioner. Their role is to oversee the police and hold them to account.
- Referendums – a referendum is a one-off vote on a specific issue which the Government has sought the views of the people. These can be held locally on local issues e.g. a congestion charge, or can be held nationally on national issues e.g. leaving the EU or changing the voting system.
For more information on elections please visit the Electoral Commission’s website: Types of Elections.
Eligibility to vote
In order to vote in the UK you must first be registered to vote. More information on who can register, and how to register, can be found on the Register to vote website on GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).
Generally, all British citizens are eligible to vote in all relevant elections in their area. Generally so are Irish citizens, although you will need to check your individual eligibility.
EU citizens living in the UK are also eligible to vote in some elections.
A “qualifying Commonwealth citizen” who is resident in the UK can vote in some elections. You can see a full list of Qualifying Commonwealth countries on the Electoral Commission’s Register to Vote website.
A Hong Kong BN(O) Status holder who holds a BN(O) passport, British Overseas territories passport or a British Overseas passport may also qualify to register.
Please check your specific circumstances before trying to register to vote.
You can do a quick check to see if you may be eligible to vote by visiting the Home – Can I Vote? website.