The electoral register
The electoral register is a list of everyone who’s registered to vote. Every ten years, a canvass takes place in Northern Ireland to update the electoral register.
Register to vote
You can register to vote if you are:
a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of a Member State of the European Union
17 or over (though you are only eligible to vote when you are 18 or over)
You cannot vote if you are not registered, but if you do register you can also get a free Electoral Identity Card which is widely accepted as proof of identity for domestic travel and opening a bank account.
If you are eligible to vote, you can register at any time. However, there will be deadlines to register ahead of elections. These deadlines will also apply if you need to update your details.
You can now register to vote online - you will need your National Insurance number
You can also call into our office if you need assistance.
About the canvass
The canvass is required by law. This canvass should have taken place in 2020, but was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In our most recent analysis of the electoral register, conducted in 2018, we found that 1 in 4 eligible voters in Northern Ireland were not correctly registered at their current address.
The canvass gives all eligible voters in Northern Ireland the chance to make sure their details are up to date, and that the electoral register is as accurate and complete as possible.