Electoral Register: Commonwealth
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 7 March 2025 to Question 34616 on Voting Rights: Foreign Nationals, what checks are undertaken to ensure that Commonwealth citizens seeking to sign up to an electoral roll are qualifying Commonwealth citizens.
Answered by Rushanara Ali
Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are responsible for maintaining accurate electoral registers. EROs hold legal powers which allow them to request documentary evidence to confirm an applicant’s nationality, if they are not satisfied as to any applicant's nationality.
The application form to register to vote is clear about the possibility of applicants being required to provide additional evidence about their nationality, and that their nationality or immigration status may be checked against government records. The Electoral Commission has also published guidance for EROs on the types of evidence they may request, and advice on how to check immigration records held by the Home Office.
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