Service voters, overseas voters, crown servants and their spouses

Service voters

Members of the armed services have two ways of registering, the same way as everyone else or as a service voter. To register as a service voter a declaration must be completed each year but this means their details are protected, as the name details appear at the end of the electoral register but the address they are associated with does not show.

Service personnel and their husbands, wives, or civil partners posted abroad can register to vote by making an annual service declaration.  The service declaration should be sent to the local electoral registration office for the address where you wish to be registered (or where you were last registered).

Service voters and their husbands, wives or civil partners can vote in person or can opt to vote by post or proxy.

Please bear in mind that postal ballot papers can only be sent out at 10 days before the day of the election at the earliest by law. This means that you might want to consider voting by proxy.  If there is a possibility that ballot papers might not reach you in time for you to return them to us

Download a Service voter application form (Pdf 551kb).

A renewal of the declaration must be completed each year to remain registered and we will send out documentation approximately three months before the expiry date.

You can register at the address where you would be living if you were not in the services or for an address where you have living in the past.

Overseas voters

A British citizen living permanently overseas must register as an overseas elector in order to be able to vote in UK elections. In order to qualify they must be living overseas and have been registered somewhere in UK in last 15 years. That last UK address will be used to decide which local authority the overseas person will be voting with.

If you register as an overseas elector you can have ballot papers sent to an overseas address on a permanent basis or have a permanent proxy set up. As the electoral register is otherwise based solely on residency, this way of registering allows someone who is a British citizen based permanently overseas to vote in UK parliament and European Parliament elections for up to 15 years after they have left the UK. Overseas electors cannot vote in local authority elections, either at Borough or County council level.

Please bear in mind that postal ballot papers can only be sent out at 10 days before the day of the election at the earliest by law. This means that you might want to consider appointing a proxy, as there is a possibility that ballot papers might not reach you in time for you to return them to us

Download an Overseas voter application form (Pdf 219kb).

A renewal of the declaration must be completed each year to remain registered and we will send out documentation approximately three months before the expiry date.

Crown servants/British Council employees or spouses

If you are working outside the UK as a Crown Servant or as an employee of the British Council, you can still register to vote. You can also register if you are married to a Crown Servant or British Council employee and you are accompanying them during their employment abroad. You need to be registered at the address where you would be living in the UK or at your last registered address.

Download a Crown Servant/British Council employee application form (Pdf 529kb)

Please bear in mind the earliest, by law, that a postal ballot paper can be issued is 10 days prior to an election. This means that you might want to consider appointing a proxy, as there is a possibility that ballot papers might not reach you in time for you to return them to us

A renewal of the declaration must be completed each year to remain registered and we will send out documentation approximately three months before the expiry date.