Section 2 Local government electors.F1

England, Wales and Northern Ireland

(1)

A person is entitled to vote as an elector at a local government election in any electoral area if on the date of the poll he—

(a)

is registered in the register of local government electors for that area;

(b)

is not subject to any legal incapacity to vote (age apart);

(c)

is a Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the Republic of ~~F2Ireland~~ ~~F3, a relevant citizen of the Union or (in Wales) a qualifying foreign citizen~~ Ireland or—

(i)

in relation to a local government election in England, a qualifying EU citizen or an EU citizen with retained rights, or

(ii)

in relation to a local government election in Wales, a relevant citizen of the Union or a qualifying foreign citizen; and

(d)

is of voting age (that is, 18 years or over F4except in Wales (see subsection (1A))).

(F51A)

In Wales, voting age is 16 years or over.

(2)

A person is not entitled to vote as an elector—

(a)

more than once in the same electoral area at any local government election; or

(b)

in more than one electoral area at an ordinary election for a local government area which is not a single electoral area.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: S. 2 substituted (29.1.2001 for certain purposes and 16.2.2001 otherwise) by 2000 c. 2, s. 1(1); S.I. 2001/116, art. 2(1)(2) (with art. 2(4))
F2: Words in s. 2(1)(c) substituted (E.W.) (7.5.2024) by Elections Act 2022 (c. 37), s. 67(4)(a), Sch. 8 para. 1(1); S.I. 2023/1145, reg. 5(b) (with Sch. para. 1(3))
F3: Words in s. 2(1)(c) substituted (E.W.) (20.3.2021) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), ss. 2(1)(a)(i), 175(3)(b) (with s. 3)
F4: Words in s. 2(1)(d) inserted (E.W.) (20.3.2021) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), ss. 2(1)(a)(ii), 175(3)(b) (with s. 3)
F5: S. 2(1A) inserted (E.W.) (20.3.2021) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), ss. 2(1)(b), 175(3)(b) (with s. 3)

Notes on Part I

Modifications

C1: Pt. I (ss. 1–66) modified by Representation of the People Act 1985 (c. 50, SIF 42), s. 2(6)
C2: Pt. 1 modified (E.W.) (25.5.2018) by The West Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/639), arts. 1, 20(7)
C3: Pt. 1 modified (E.W.) (25.5.2018) by The East Suffolk (Local Government Changes) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/640), arts. 1, 20(7)
C4: Pt. 1 modified (E.W.) (26.5.2018) by The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/648), arts. 1, 39(6)
C5: Pt. 1 modified (E.W.) (26.5.2018) by The Bournemouth, Dorset and Poole (Structural Changes) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/648), arts. 1, 24(6)
C6: Pt. 1 modified (E.W.) (26.5.2018) by The Somerset West and Taunton (Local Government Changes) Order 2018 (S.I. 2018/649), arts. 1, 20(7)
C7: Pt. 1 modified (E.W.) (23.5.2019) by The Buckinghamshire (Structural Changes) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/957), arts. 1, 18(6)
C8: Pt. 1 modified (E.W.) (14.2.2020) by The Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/156), arts. 1, 20(8)
C9: Pt. 1 modified (E.W.) (14.2.2020) by The Northamptonshire (Structural Changes) Order 2020 (S.I. 2020/156), arts. 1, 20(14)
C10: Pts. 1, 2 modified (E.W.) (10.3.2026) by The Surrey (Structural Changes) Order 2026 (S.I. 2026/264), arts. 1(1), 47(5)(11), 49(5)(11)