You can only vote in elections if your name is on the register of electors. If you are on the electoral register you can also apply to vote by post.

Who can register

You can only apply to have your name added to the register if you are:

• 18 (or will become 18 during the life of the register)
• a British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union Member State citizen (a full list of all eligible countries provided)
• resident at a York address

How to register your name

Any person wishing to register after the annual canvass can do so under rolling registration, the register is updated every month between January and September. When we receive a form we process your details and the register is updated on the first day of the following month, the table below details the dates for updating the register. Once your details are added, we will send a letter to you confirming your name has been added to the register.

To apply to have your name added by rolling registration, download and print the form and return it to us. Do not email this form back as we require your signature.

The Register of Electors is available for inspection during office hours at The Guildhall.

The Register of Electors - your choice

The council makes and keeps two versions of the register of electors - the full register, and the edited register.

The edited register can be bought by anyone, and they may use it for any purpose. However, electors can choose to have their name and address removed from the edited register.

Please put a tick in the form against anyone who wishes their name and address to be left off the edited register. You should, of course, check with each person what they would prefer.

The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote in elections. It can only be seen on request at the council offices.

By law, the full register is only available to certain people and organisations and can only be used for specified purposes. These include electoral purposes, the prevention and detection of crime and checking identities for credit applications. It is a criminal offence for it to be used for any other purpose.

Anyone inspecting the register may only make a hand written copy of the extract they are inspecting.

The Electoral Register and credit agencies

The Register of Electors is produced for the purpose of voting in elections and referendums. The law allows only legally registered credit agencies to purchase a copy of the register to help with their fraud checking.

These credit agencies cannot pass on details of those electors who have opted out of the edited register.

The Electoral Services Office cannot help with errors credit agencies have with their records, regardless if it is an issue with address details or registration history. Electoral Services only assist in registering electors to vote. Written or verbal confirmation cannot be provided to organisations who have already received copies of the Electoral Register or to organisations who are not permitted details from the full Electoral Register.