Special arrangements for registering to vote

There are certain circumstances where special arrangements for registration and voting need to be made.

For information about how to make sure that arrangements appropriate to your circumstances are made, please see the sections below:

Overseas voters

British citizens living abroad can vote at a UK Parliamentary general election, and in the referendum but not in local Bristol City Council elections.

If you are living abroad it is advisable that you appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf as there is unlikely to be enough time for postal votes to reach you and be sent back before close of poll.

More about overseas voters:

• www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.

Service voters

Service personnel and their spouses or civil partners posted abroad can register to vote through making a service declaration.  Please see our service voter application form (pdf, 255 KB) (opens new window).

You can register at the address in the UK where you would be living if not posted overseas or at an address where you have lived in the past.
 
If this area is within Bristol City Council, your register to vote application form should be posted to the following freepost address. No stamp is required if posted in the UK.

• Electoral Services, FREEPOST (NAT 11762), Bristol, BS1 5BR

Service voters and their spouses or civil partners can vote in person or can opt to vote by post or proxy.

If you are living abroad it is advisable that you appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf as there is unlikely to be enough time for postal votes to reach you and be sent back before close of poll.

Crown Servant or as an employee of the British Council

If you are working outside the UK as a Crown Servant or as an employee of the British Council, you can register to vote. You can also register if you are married to, or are the civil partner of, a Crown Servant or British Council employee and you are accompanying them during their employment abroad.

You will need to complete a Crown Servant registration form, which is available to download from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.

Crown Servant voters and their spouses or civil partners can vote in person or can opt to vote by post or proxy.  

If you are living abroad it is advisable that you appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf as there is unlikely to be enough time for postal votes to reach you and be sent back before close of poll.

Homeless

If you are homeless, you still have a right to vote.  However as registration is linked to your address, you will need to complete a Declaration of Local Connection form (pdf, 9 KB) (opens new window).

Prisoners on remand

Prisoners on remand and not currently serving a prison sentence, are entitled to register to vote using our register to vote form (pdf, 18 KB) (opens new window).

Anonymous electors

If you are concerned about your personal safety and would be at risk if your details were included in the electoral register, you can apply to be registered as an anonymous elector. Please use our application for anonymous registration form (pdf, 12 KB) (opens new window).

Your form will need to be signed by a police officer of the rank of superintendent or above or the Director General of the Security Services or the Serious Organised Crime Agency.