Registering to vote in the UK general election

Homeless Link has been working with the Electoral Commission on a campaign to promote homeless people's right to register to vote ahead of the UK Parliamentary general election which will take place by 3rd June 2010.

Voting is an important part of the democratic process and is a vital way of giving homeless people a say over who runs the country.  Homeless Link believes it is crucial that those who are experiencing homelessness use their political voice to influence the environment in which they live and the services they use.  It is crucial that our elected representatives understand that people with experience of homelessness are part of the electorate and that their views count. 

How to register to vote

People living in temporary accommodation can exercise their right to register to vote with their local Electoral Registration Office, using their temporary address.

Those who have no fixed address can also register to vote by completing a ‘declaration of local connection’, available from their local Electoral Registration Office.  The declaration requires an individual to give an address which meets one of the following criteria:

• where they would be living if it were not for their current situation
• where they have lived in the past
• where they spend a substantial part of their time, such as a day centre

To find out more

Please visit the Electoral Commission's About My Vote website to find details of local Electoral Registration Offices.  

If you provide services to individuals who you think would benefit from learning about voter registration and the right to vote, there are many politics and democracy resources available online at the Electoral Commission’s Do Politics Centre website.  Electronic versions of a poster,  voting information leaflet and voter registration leaflet which explain the voting process and encourage people to register to vote are also available from this site.  To order printed versions, please call 0845 8500 501.