Register to vote
You need to be registered to vote in UK elections and referendums. Everyone who is registered to vote is listed on the electoral register.
To register to vote, you must:
- be resident in the electoral area
- be a qualifying British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union citizen
- be 14 or over
- 16/17 year olds can vote at Scottish Parliamentary and Local Government elections
- you have to be 18 or over to vote at UK Parliamentary or European Parliamentary elections
- not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote
Other groups can register to vote in special circumstances:
- British citizens living abroad
- Members of the Armed Forces
- Crown servants or British Council employees
- Eligible voters with no fixed address
Annual canvass of electors
The Electoral Registration Officer is required by law to carry out a household canvass each year to find out who is eligible to vote at every address in Dumfries and Galloway. This year's forms are due to be delivered w/c 1 July 2019.
You can respond online, by Freephone or Text or forms can be completed and returned in the envelopes provided. Although responding by post is the most expensive way to receive responses, so if you can respond by phone, text or online please do so. Every web response saves 21p compared to postage costs. Every text or phone response saves 15p compared to postage costs.
We are required by law to send reminder letters and pay visits to households that don't respond to this form. Last year this cost us over £20,000, please respond promptly so we can spend taxpayers' money on local services instead.
Register or tell us about a change
You can use an online service to register or update the details you registered:
Register to vote or update your details
You can also:
- Call 01387 260627
- Email ier@dumgal.gov.uk
Your details
Your details will be added to the electoral register . We use the register at elections and it can be used for things such as detecting fraud or calling you for jury service.
The electoral register can be viewed under supervision at:
- Municipal Chambers, Buccleuch Street, Dumfries, DG1 2AD
An extract of the full register, called the open or edited register, is also available for anyone to purchase. Your name and address are included in the open register unless you ask us to remove them. You can still vote if your details are removed.
Email optout@dumgal.gov.uk with your full name and address if you want to opt out of the open register.
