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Electoral Registration

Qualifications

To qualify to be registered to vote you must be resident (or deemed resident) in the registration area and not subject to any legal incapacity. 

Age
In Scotland you can register to vote if you are aged 14 or over. You can vote in local elections and elections to the Scottish Parliament when you are 16 and elections to the UK Parliament when you are 18.

Nationality
You qualify to register to vote if you are:

  • a British or European Union citizen
  • a Commonwealth citizen or foreign national who has leave to remain in the UK, or who does not require such leave  

The definition of a 'Commonwealth' citizen includes citizens of British Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories.

Citizens of the European Union (who are not Commonwealth citizens or Citizens of the Republic of Ireland) and foreign nationals can vote in local elections in the UK, elections to the Scottish Parliament and some referendums (based on the rules for the particular referendum). They are not able to vote in UK Parliamentary general elections.