If you are a member of the British Armed Forces, you can choose whether to register as a service voter or as a civilian (ordinary elector).
Registering as a service voter
Your registration as a service voter will be valid for 5 years from the time your entry onto the register takes effect and must be renewed every 5 years. If you don’t renew your registration, it will expire at the end of the 5 years.
Register to vote (armed forces)
If you prefer, you can register to vote by completing a paper form.
We will write to you well in advance of your expiry date, but if you haven't told us about any change of address since you last registered, our letter may not reach you.
The Electoral Commission has produced an information booklet for forces personnel. This explains how to register to vote and how to vote by post or by proxy if you cannot get to your polling station on polling day.
More information is available from the Electoral Commission website.
Registering as a civilian voter
If you choose to register as a civilian, the normal registration rules will apply to you.
If you have moved to Cornwall from another council’s area, please register with us. We will then contact your previous council (if you have also given us your previous address) and you will be deleted from the electoral register there.
If you’re based in the UK and are unlikely to change address or be posted overseas in the next year, you can register as an ordinary voter.
To register to vote as a civilian in England, Scotland or Wales please use the link below:
If you prefer to register to vote by completing a paper form, please contact us via our contact details on this page. We will then send you a form.
You can apply to vote by post or appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf.
If you wish to vote by post, we can send ballot papers abroad. However, you need to consider whether there would be time for you to receive and return your ballot paper by polling day.
More information is available from the Electoral Commission website.
