Your vote matters
Elections in 2025 and 2026
There are no scheduled elections in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea in 2025. The borough’s local elections will be held on Thursday 7 May 2026.
Do not miss out on having your say. Make sure you are registered to vote! If you do not register for upcoming elections before the given deadline, you will not be able to vote at the polling station.
You could end up with an £80 fine if you fail to respond to requests for information from the electoral register.
Did you know credit reference agencies use the electoral register to prevent fraud when people apply for credit, so it’s never a bad idea to be registered!
Voter ID required for voting at elections
The Elections Act 2022 introduced the requirement for voters in Great Britain to show photo identification to vote in polling stations at elections. Voters who do not produce valid photo identification or a Voter Authority Certificate will not be allowed to vote in person on the day.
Find out which forms of photo identification will be accepted
How to register to vote
Registering to vote has never been easier. The form is simple to complete. Just fill in your name, address, date of birth, nationality, your National Insurance number, if you have one, and a few other details.
The quickest way to apply is online at Register to vote - GOV.UK.
If you do not have access to the internet you can use computers in local libraries, internet cafes, the Customer Service Centre at the Town Hall or we can send you a paper registration form to fill in and post back. If you need assistance, we can also complete an over-the-phone registration.
Who can register to vote?
Age
Only those aged 18 or over can vote but you can register if you are 16 or 17.
Residence
Your primary residence must be in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea when you apply to register. If you split your time between two homes, you may be able to register to vote at both addresses. For example, you might own two properties and split your time between them, or you might be a student. If you apply to register to vote from your second home, then your application will be looked at on a case-by-case basis. The outcome will depend on the amount of time you spend at each of your addresses.
You cannot register before moving to an address.
Different arrangements apply to some electors who do not meet the usual residence qualification. They are known as special category electors. More information can be found below, including how to register if you are a British citizen living overseas.
Nationality
To qualify you must be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of a qualifying European Union Member State.
Commonwealth citizens must be resident in the UK and either have leave to enter or remain in the UK or not require such leave. The definition of a Commonwealth Citizen includes citizens of British crown dependencies and British Overseas Territories.
Nationality is regarded as passport(s) held (or the right to hold a passport). Indefinite leave to remain does not alter nationality.
European Union citizens
European Union citizens are entitled to vote in local elections and Police and Crime Commissioner elections if citizens of:
- Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain and are resident in the UK, have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who do not need permission
- Any other EU country who on or before 31 December 2020 were legally resident in the UK, had permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who did not need permission, and this has continued without a break.
Qualifying European Union citizens cannot vote in UK Parliamentary general elections. Find more information on EU citizens' voting and candidacy rights
Although also EU member states, citizens of Cyprus, Malta and Ireland are eligible to be registered to vote in all elections held in the UK.
Commonwealth citizens
Commonwealth citizens are entitled to register as parliamentary and as local government electors if:
- they do not require permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man
- they do require permission to enter or stay in the UK but have been granted such permission or are treated as having been granted such permission
- any type of permission to enter or stay is acceptable, whether indefinite, time limited or conditional
They must also fulfil the age and residence requirements for registration and not be subject to any other legal incapacity.
Citizens of Commonwealth countries other than the United Kingdom are not eligible to register as overseas electors.
Commonwealth countries
- Commonwealth countries
-
- Antigua and Barbuda
- Australia
- Bangladesh
- Barbados
- Belize
- Botswana
- Brunei Darussalam
- Cameroon
- Canada
- Cyprus*
- Dominica
- Fiji
- Gabon
- Ghana
- Grenada
- Guyana
- India
- Jamaica
- Kenya
- Kingdom of Eswatini
- Kiribati
- Lesotho
- Malawi
- Malaysia
- Maldives
- Malta*
- Mauritius
- Mozambique
- Namibia
- Nauru
- New Zealand
- Nigeria
- Pakistan
- Papua New Guinea
- Rwanda
- Saint Kitts and Nevis
- Saint Lucia
- Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
- Samoa
- Seychelles
- Sierra Leone
- Singapore
- Solomon Islands
- South Africa
- Sri Lanka
- The Bahamas
- The Gambia
- Togo
- Tonga
- Trinidad and Tobago
- Tuvalu
- Uganda
- United Kingdom
- United Republic of Tanzania
- Vanuatu
- Zambia
- Zimbabwe
*Although also EU member states, citizens of Cyprus and Malta are eligible to be registered to vote in respect of all elections held in the UK.
Citizens of Commonwealth countries that have been suspended from the Commonwealth retain their voting rights. Their voting rights would only be affected if their country was also deleted from the list of Commonwealth countries in the British Nationality Act 1981 through an Act of the UK Parliament.
Commonwealth citizens temporarily in the UK and pending removal
The Home Office have advised that Commonwealth citizens who are temporarily in the UK pending removal, are not in the UK legally whilst arrangements for their removal are being made. As these citizens do not have permission to enter or stay, they are not eligible to register to vote.
British Overseas Territories
British Overseas Territories citizens have the same status as Commonwealth citizens and are entitled to register as electors in respect of all elections, if they also fulfil the age and residence requirements for such registration and are not subject to any other legal incapacity.
- British Overseas Territories
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- Anguilla
- Bermuda
- British Antarctic Territory
- British Indian Ocean Territory
- British Virgin Islands
- Cayman Islands
- Falkland Islands
- Gibraltar
- Montserrat
- Pitcairn, Henderson, Dulcie and Oeno Islands
- South George and the South Sandwich Islands
- Sovereign Base areas of Akrotiri and Dhekelia on Cyprus
- St Helena, Ascencion and Tristan da Cunha
- Turks and Caicos Islands
British Crown Dependencies
The British Crown Dependencies consist of:
- Isle of Man
- Channel Islands including Jersey, Guernsey, Sark, Alderney, Herm and the other inhabited Channel Islands.
Citizens of the British Crown Dependencies who are resident in the UK are Commonwealth citizens for the purposes of electoral registration. However, unlike Commonwealth citizens, they may register as overseas electors.
Hong Kong citizens
Only those previous residents of Hong Kong who hold a British Overseas Territories, British Nationals (Overseas) or British Overseas passport meet the nationality criterion for all elections in the UK.
Any previous resident of Hong Kong who only has a Chinese Special Administrative Region passport is Chinese and may not register as a qualifying Commonwealth citizen. They may, however, be eligible to register as a qualifying foreign citizen in Scotland and Wales.
Special category electors
Voter registration for British Citizens living overseas
British citizens living abroad can vote in UK Parliamentary General elections only.
From 16 January 2024 British citizens living abroad, including eligible Irish citizens and citizens of the Crown Dependencies, may register as overseas electors, providing they are:
- a person who was previously registered to vote in the UK, either before they left the UK or as an overseas elector.
- a person who was previously resident in the UK, including those who left the UK before they were old enough to register to vote
Applicants must apply to register as an overseas elector in respect of the address where they were last registered to vote in the UK or, if they have never been registered, the last address at which they were resident in the UK.
To apply, visit Register to vote - GOV.UK
Anonymous registration
If you feel that having your name on the register of electors may put you at risk, you can apply to be entered anonymously.
Some people feel that being on the register could affect their safety. For example, they register anonymously if they are escaping from domestic violence or have a job that requires them to keep their identity private.
If your application is accepted, your name and address will not be shown. Any person living with you can also apply to vote in this way.
If you are an anonymous elector or you are about to register as one and you wish to vote in person at an election, you will also need to apply for an Anonymous Electors Document ahead of polling day.
How to apply for anonymous registration
You will need to complete a form giving the reason you are applying for anonymous registration.
The law says you must provide documentary evidence in the form of a court order or injunction. Any court order or injunction must be for the protection or the benefit of you or another person in your household.
If you do not have either of these, your application must be supported by one of the following people:
- a police officer of or above the rank of inspector of any police force in the UK
- the director general of the security service or the National Crime Agency
- a director of adult social services or children’s services in England or a director of social services in Wales
- any chief social work officer in Scotland
- any director of social services of a health and social services board or executive director of social work of a health and social services trust in Northern Ireland
- any medical practitioner who is registered with the General Medical Council
- any nurse or midwife who is registered with the Nursing and Midwifery Council
- a person who manages a refuge. A refuge means accommodation together with a planned programme of therapeutic and practical support for victims of, or those at risk of, domestic abuse or violence
Nobody else may attest an application for anonymous registration.
For more information please visit Register to vote anonymously or contact the Electoral Services team on 020 7361 3444.