Register to vote
Contents
- How to register
- Who can register
- Reasons to register
- Voting by post
- Check if you're already registered to vote
- When your details will be included on the Electoral Register
How to register to vote
Register online
- Go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
- Fill in your name, address, date of birth and a few other details. You'll also need your national insurance number, which can be found on your national insurance card, or in official paperwork such as payslips, or letters about benefits or tax credits.
- Look out for a confirmation to say you're registered.
If you do not have access to the internet, phone us on 0191 427 7000. We can complete your application over the phone.
Information about how we handle your personal data is available in the Council's Privacy Notice - Electoral Services.
Who can register to vote
You can register to vote in the UK if you are:
- a resident (usually live) in the UK, and
- aged 16 or over (but you will not be able to vote until you are 18)
You must also be either:
- a British, Irish or European Union citizen, or
- a Commonwealth citizen who has leave to remain in the UK or who does not require leave to remain in the UK
Reasons to register to vote
To be able to vote in elections, you must be registered.
If you aren't registered to vote, you won't have the chance to have a say on who represents you.
Some people also register to vote because they want to apply for credit. Credit reference agencies use the Electoral Register to confirm where someone lives when they apply for credit to counteract fraud.
If you don't register to vote, you won't have a say at future elections and referendums. If you don't respond to requests for information from the Electoral Registration Office you could be at risk of getting fined £80.
Voting by post
The deadline to apply to vote by post in the May 2021 elections has now passed (this was 20 April 2021).
Check if you're already registered to vote
To check if you are already registered, you can contact the Elections Office:
The Elections Office
Town Hall and Civic Offices
Westoe Road
South Shields
Tyne and Wear
NE33 2RL
Phone: 0191 424 7230
Email: elections@southtyneside.gov.uk
When your details will be included on the Electoral Register
The following table gives the dates when you will be included on the register of electors depending when we receive your application.
| Last day to apply to register to vote | Date your details will be included on the Register of Electors |
|---|---|
| Friday 11 December 2020 | Monday 4 January 2021 |
| Friday 8 January 2021 | Monday 1 February 2021 |
| Friday 5 February 2021 | Monday 1 March 2021 |
| Wednesday 10 March 2021 | Thursday 1 April 2021 |
| Friday 26 March 2021 | Thursday 8 April 2021 |
| Monday 19 April 2021 | Wednesday 28 April 2021 |
| Monday 10 May 2021 | Tuesday 1 June 2021 |
| Wednesday 9 June 2021 | Thursday 1 July 2021 |
| Friday 9 July 2021 | Monday 2 August 2021 |
| Tuesday 10 August 2021 | Wednesday 1 September 2021 |
There are no updates to the register of electors during the months of October and November as the council has to carry out an annual canvass to update the register. The revised register of electors is published on 1 December each year.
Using information received from the public, Registration Officers keep two registers - the Electoral Register and the Open Register (also known as the Edited Register). For more information see Electoral registers.