Register to Vote

This year, all of Southampton City Council’s seats are up for vote in the Local Elections on Thursday 04 May 2023. This is a fantastic opportunity for you to use your voice in your local community and vote for the candidates that share and represent your views!

One thing that's different this year is Voter ID. As per UK Government regulations, you are now required to bring photographic identification to cast your vote. You can find out more about this below.

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 17 April 2023.

Use your voice: register to vote!

Voter ID

As per UK Government regulations, you are now required to bring photographic identification to cast your vote. You can find a list of accept forms of ID here: Accepted forms of photo ID.

If you do not possess one of the formal forms of ID, you can apply for a free ‘Voter Authority Certificate’ here: Apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.

If you don't want to provide photo ID you can register to vote via Postal vote instead.

Where can I vote?

To cast your vote, you must bring a form of identification to your local polling station. You can find your local polling station on this website: Find your polling station.

An alternative to using physical polling stations is postal voting, where you receive your ballot in the mail. Find out more about postal voting, including information about how to register, here: Postal voting.

Are you registered to vote?

We often feel that the government and Council don't listen to students. The best way to change this is to start registering, and start voting.

Do I have to register to vote?

The law requires you to register to vote at least one address in the United Kingdom. If you're a student who lives in one place during term time and another during holidays, you can register in both places at once (see "Can I vote in more than one place?" below).

We strongly encourage students to register in both places. Councillors and MPs can sometimes not realise just how many students live in their areas, because they work off the electoral registration lists. So it's really important that as many students as possible register to vote!

If you're not registered in at least one place, you could be fined £80 by the Council. Registration literally takes a few minutes, and you can do it online now at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

What do I have to do to register?

You should have got a letter in the post from the Council inviting you to register. You can either fill in the form attached to this letter, or you can go online and do it at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. If you have your National Insurance (NI) number, you can get straight onto the register.

You can find your NI number on any payslips you might have, or you should have received it on a letter from the government when you turned 16.

If you don't have an NI number or can't find yours, as long as you're registered at your current address with the University, you can still register online. When it asks you to enter your NI number, click "I don't know my National Insurance number", followed by "I can't provide my National Insurance number". In the box below, write "Student at the University of Southampton". If there any issues, the Council will get in touch with you.

To find out your NI number, you can call HM Revenue and Customs and they'll help you out - 0300 200 3502.

I'm already registered/I voted in the last election

Your voter registration doesn't move house with you, so every time you move house you'll need to register again. If you don't register, you'll miss out and you won't be able to vote in the next election.

Can I vote in more than one place?

If you're from the UK and you're living away from home whilst you're at University, the law assumes that you split your time between the two addresses equally. This means you can sometimes have two votes - one at home and one at University. The basic rule is that you can only vote once in each election to a particular body.

Elections you can vote more than once in:

  • District Council elections (might be called a Borough or City Council)
  • County Council elections
  • Police and Crime Commissioner elections

Elections you can only vote once in:

  • The General Election, for Members of Parliament for the House of Commons. The next General Election is likely to be in 2025.
  • Referendums (such as the referendum on Britain's membership of the European Union)

Depending on where you live, you might also be able to vote in elections for your Parish/Town Council, local mayor, the London Assembly, the Welsh Assembly, the Northern Irish Assembly or the Scottish Parliament.

If you want to vote in another place to the one you'll be living in on the day of the election, you can apply for a postal ballot. This is where you send your ballot paper in by mail. This service is free and you don't need to give a reason why you would prefer a postal ballot. You can vote in person or post in either place; there are no restrictions. You can find the form for this here: Apply for a Postal vote.

I'm an international student, can I register?

Voting in the UK isn't just restricted to British citizens. The following people can vote:

  • British, Republic of Ireland or qualifying Commonwealth citizens: Qualifying Commonwealth citizens are those who have leave to enter or remain in the UK, or do not require such leave. This includes students studying here on a University course.
  • Citizens of European Union countries living in the UK: This includes students studying here on a University course.
  • Citizens of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British Overseas Territory living in the UK: This includes students studying here on a University course.

If you can register, you need to. You may need to provide proof of your identity to remain in the United Kingdom, for example by sending in copies of your passport and/or visa.

If you're not from the UK, your registration to vote here is separate from any registration to vote you might have in your home country, or at your country's embassy in the United Kingdom.