2.6 Nationality

Finally, your right to vote is also affected by your nationality – and this varies depending on the election and where you live.

To vote in UK Parliament elections, you must be:

• A British, Irish, or qualifying Commonwealth citizen living in the UK. To qualify, Commonwealth citizens must have leave to remain in the UK or not require it.
• Overseas British citizens and eligible Irish citizens registering to vote in Northern Ireland are also able to vote.
• EU citizens cannot vote in general elections.

For local elections, nationality requirements are broader, especially in Scotland and Wales:

• British, Irish, and qualifying Commonwealth citizens can vote across the UK.
• In Scotland and Wales, any foreign national with leave to remain (including EU and non-EU citizens) can vote in local and devolved elections.
• In England, only some EU citizens can vote in local elections – either those with retained rights (living in the UK before 31 Dec 2020) or citizens of specific countries with treaties (currently: Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Spain).
• In Northern Ireland, EU citizens can vote in all elections if they are residents.