Households are being warned they must reply to letters inviting them to register to vote or they face being turned away at the upcoming local government elections.
Households in various council areas will be able to cast their vote in local council elections on May 7, 2026. But only those who have successfully registered to vote before the deadline on Monday, April 20.
Those who are not yet on the electoral register will be sent letters inviting them to enrol, and those who fail to respond or fail to register by April 20 will not be allowed to vote.
Similarly, those without valid voter ID will not be able to vote either following new rules which came into force in 2022 which means voters must show photo ID in order to vote.
Those who do not have a driving licence, passport or other form of valid ID can register for a free voter ID, but must do so by April 28.
The deadline for postal vote applications is 5pm on April 21.
The Electoral Commission says in its online guidance: “You need to register to vote by Monday 20 April for the local and mayoral elections taking place on 7 May.
“To register to vote online, you need just five minutes and your National Insurance number.
“If you can’t register online, you can download a paper form (Opens in new window).
“You don’t need to register to vote before every election.
“You must register to vote at the address you live at. If you live at two addresses because you are a student or have a second home, you may be able to register to vote at both addresses.”