There have been changes for EU citizens in some UK elections. The changes affect which elections EU citizens can vote in and stand as a candidate in.
The changes follow the UK's departure from the European Union. They have been introduced as part of the Elections Act.
The changes came into effect after 7 May 2024 and apply to:
- Local elections
- Police and Crime Commissioner elections
What has changed
You will now only be able to register, vote or stand as a candidate in these elections if:
- you're a citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain who is resident in the UK, has permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who does not need permission
- you're a citizen of any other EU country who on or before 31 December 2020 was 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
EU citizens cannot vote or stand as a candidate in UK Parliament elections.
If you have received a letter or email about your eligibility to vote
We're currently reviewing the eligibility of current EU citizens who are registered to vote.
As part of this review, we're contacting EU citizens to either tell them:
- they're still eligible to vote in some UK elections
- we're not sure if they're eligible to vote in some UK elections: if this is the case, we'll be asking people to provide information that we can use to confirm if they're eligible
If we tell you that you're still eligible to vote
You don't need to do anything.
You'll remain eligible and you can vote in upcoming elections in your area (excluding UK Parliament elections).
If we ask you to provide information to confirm your eligibility
You'll be asked if you meet the eligibility criteria. Your response will only be shared with the Electoral Registration Officer.
You will need to either:
- go to the GOV.UK website: details on how to log in will be included in the letter or email from us
- complete a paper form and return it to us: this form will be included in the letter or email from us
If you confirm you do not meet the eligibility criteria, or you do not provide the details we ask for, you'll no longer be eligible to vote in:
- Local elections
- Police and Crime Commissioner elections
Contact us
- Email: electoral.services@bristol.gov.uk
- Phone: 0117 922 3400
For more information, visit the Electoral Commission's website.