Who can vote

To vote in the election on 7 May 2026, you have to be: 

• Registered to vote 

• 16 years old or older 

• Living in Wales (some people who live outside Wales can vote. Find out more below)

• Not legally excluded from voting

Not sure if you can vote? Read the questions and answers below  

Who can register to vote? 

To register to vote, you have to be: 

• A British citizen, or 

• An Irish citizen, or 

• A citizen of a European Union country, or 

• A citizen of another country and you have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands, or the Isle of Man, or you don’t need permission 

To vote in the Senedd election, you have to be registered by midnight on 20 April 2026. 

Do I need to register to vote? 

You only need to register to vote if you: 

• Have never registered to vote 

• Have moved house 

• Have changed your name  

If you’ve already registered to vote, you do not need to register again unless your details have changed. You can contact your local council's electoral services team to find out if you are already registered.

If you are registered to vote, you'll get a poll card in the post around 5 weeks before the day of the election.

How do I register to vote? 

You can register online at the UK Government website.

You’ll need to give your full name, date of birth, address, nationality, and National Insurance number (if you don’t have one, you can still register). 

You can register from the age of 14. 

You can only vote when you are 16 years of age or older. 

I’m a member of the armed forces, and I’m based abroad. Can I vote? 

Yes, you can register as a service voter. 

This means that you’ll be registered at an address in the UK for up to 5 years even if you move around. 

You can register online. You will need to provide your rank/rating, service number and regiment or corps. 

You can choose if you want a postal vote or a proxy vote. 

You can register the same way if you are married to, or the civil partner of a member of the armed forces.

You can also register in the same way if you're a Crown servant or British Council employee, or married or a civil partner to one.

I don’t have a fixed address. Can I vote? 

You can vote if you don’t have a fixed address. 

When you register to vote, you can use any of these as your address:

• a place where you spend most of your time

• where you have some connection

• the place where you were last permanently registered to vote

To register to vote without a fixed address, you'll need to contact your local electoral registration office. (council contact details) 

I’m a student and have 2 addresses. What should I do? 

You can register to vote at both addresses but you can only vote once. 

You'll need to choose which address to vote at for the Senedd election. 

You can only vote in one location in a Senedd election.

It’s not safe for my name to be on the electoral register. What should I do? 

You can apply for anonymous voter registration. 

Anonymous voter registration lets people register without their name or address appearing on the electoral register. 

You will need to explain why it isn’t safe for your name or address to appear on the register, and you’ll need to give a court document or attestation from an authorised person.

Anonymous voters are not included on any registration forms sent to your address. 

Your electoral registration office will speak with you separately. 

Anonymous registration is only valid for one year, and you will need to apply again for future elections. 

Fill in this form and give evidence to support your application and then give it to your electoral registration office. 

I’m from Wales but I’ve moved away. Can I vote? 

If you live abroad, you can register to vote as an overseas voter. 

Overseas voters can vote in UK parliamentary elections.  

You will not be able to vote in Senedd or council elections in Wales.