Contents

1 Summary 5

2 What is the franchise? 9

2.1 Who decides the franchise? 9

2.2 The electoral register 10

How are electoral registers maintained? 10

Differences in different parts of the UK 11

3 The UK parliamentary franchise 12

3.1 Registration qualifications 12

Attainers 12

3.2 Voting qualifications 13

3.3 UK Government legislation for votes at 16 13

4 Electoral registration criteria 16

4.1 Residence 16

Second homes 16

Temporary residence 16

Special category voters with no UK address 17

4.2 Nationality 18

Irish citizens 19

Qualifying Commonwealth citizen 19

4.3 Legal incapacity to vote 20

5 Local government franchises 23

5.1 England and Northern Ireland 23

5.2 Scotland 25

5.3 Wales 27

Welsh local government franchise 28

Senedd Cymru franchise 29

6 Why can Irish and Commonwealth citizens vote in UK elections? 31

6.1 Irish citizens 32

6.2 Commonwealth citizens 34

7 Voting rights of EU citizens 36

7.1 Background 36

7.2 Elections Act 2022 36