Following implementation of the Elections Act 2022, EU citizens are no longer automatically entitled to register to vote and stand for election in England.
Two groups of EU citizens will retain their rights:
- Qualifying EU citizens' from countries with reciprocal agreements, and who have leave, or do not require it, to remain in the UK - currently Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain
- EU citizens with 'retained rights' who, on or before 31 December 2020, were legally resident in the UK, had permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who did not need permission, and this has continued without a break
Review Process
Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are required to conduct a review of all European Citizens that are registered to vote. If the ERO is unable to confirm that an EU voter has resided in the UK before 31 December 2020, through checking historical electoral register records, a letter will be sent to that voter to confirm whether they remain eligible to be registered under the new criteria.
If you have received a letter informing you that you are still eligible to vote, you do not need to do anything further. You remain eligible and can vote in upcoming elections (excluding UK Parliamentary elections).
If you have received a letter asking you to confirm your eligibility, you will need to respond:
- online at: www.gov.uk/eu-voter-reply (details of how to log on will be in the letter sent to you along with a unique security code)
- by completing the paper form and returning it to us
If you confirm you that do not meet the eligibility criteria, or you do not provide details as requested, you will no longer be eligible to vote in Local Government elections, and Police & Crime Commissioner elections. You will receive a letter confirming this.
If you do not respond to the request for information about your eligibility, the ERO will determine that you are no longer eligible and you will receive confirmation of this. If you are eligible, you can re-register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
If you’ve gained new citizenship or changed your nationality
If you have gained new citizenship or changed your nationality since you last registered to vote, you should let us know. The changes to your citizenship or nationality may affect your eligibility to vote in some elections and you might need to re-register to vote. You can contact us at electoral.services@wyre.gov.uk or call 01253 887257.