If you haven't registered to vote, or you have changed your address, you can register to vote online. Please have your National Insurance Number and your date of birth to hand when you register. The process only takes 5 minutes.
Why should I register to vote?
The information is required by law.
- If you are not on the register you cannot vote
- Credit referencing agencies use the register when assessing credit worthiness
- People who are not on the register often experience difficulties opening bank accounts, getting credit, a loan or a mortgage
- It gives you a say on important issues that affect you
The Annual Canvass
Every year in July-November the Electoral Registration Officer carries out the annual canvass. We send a Household Enquiry form to all properties within the Borough. The Household Enquiry form should be completed and sent back using one of the options detailed on the front of the form. You are not automatically registered even if you pay council tax.
More information
Vote in person
You will receive a poll card about a month before the election is scheduled to take place. Your poll card gives you information about:
- The date of the election
- Where to go to vote
- The hours of poll
- The valid photo identification you will need to take with you
At the polling station:
- The presiding officer will check your photo identification
- A poll clerk will confirm your name and address against the electoral register
- You will be given a ballot paper to take into a booth for you to mark an X in the box next to the candidate you wish to vote for
- Then fold the ballot paper in half and post it in the ballot box
- Please ask the the polling station staff if you need help in voting
Postal vote
You can apply for a postal vote anytime of the year.
If you choose to vote by post your ballot paper will be sent to you about 1 week prior to election day. You mark your ballot paper in the normal way then return it in the pre-paid envelope along with the completed security statement before the close of poll.
Note - Applications for Postal Votes must be received by 5pm on the 11th working day prior to an election.
Changes to the way postal can be submitted
There are new government rules around how you submit your postal vote, as part of a crackdown on electoral fraud.
The quickest and easiest way is to post your completed vote to us via Royal Mail, and let us sort the rest.
Any postal votes that are hand-delivered to us must be signed for at Electoral Services, Dudley Council House, Dudley.
Any postal votes hand-delivered in any other way risks not being counted.
Proxy vote
Alternatively you can apply for someone to vote for you. If you have a particular reason, i.e. you are blind or disabled, or if you are away from home during an election and will be leaving prior to postal votes being issued.
Note - Application forms appointing a proxy must be received 6 working days prior to an election.
Permanent or long-term proxy vote
Alternative forms are available for long-term proxies. These are available from the Electoral Commission.
Living abroad
If you are a British Citizen and are living or working abroad, you can still register to vote at Parliamentary Elections from your last address in the UK.
Registration will last for 3 years and will then need to be renewed in order to remain on the Electoral Register.
You can register at Register to vote
Contact us
Email: elections@dudley.gov.uk
Electoral Services
Council House
Priory Road
Dudley
DY1 1HF