Elections Act 2022

EU citizens will no longer automatically be entitled to register to vote and stand for election. The changes apply to local elections in England and Northern Ireland elections for Police and Crime Commissioner in England and Wales.

Two groups of EU citizens will retain their rights:

• 'Qualifying EU citizens' from countries with reciprocal agreements, and who have leave, or do not require it, to remain in the UK. This currently applies to Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, and Spain. Citizens from Ireland, Malta, and Cyprus will retain their voting rights in all UK elections while resident in the UK.
• 'EU citizens with retained rights' who were residents in the UK before 1 January 2021 -  before the UK left the EU

When do the changes come into force?

Changes came into effect as of the 7 May 2024.

Eligibility confirmation review process

We are in the process of writing to all EU citizens currently registered to vote in Cheltenham to either:

• confirm that they are being retained on the register following a data-based review as being a qualifying EU citizen or having retained rights - no further action is required; or
• ask EU citizens to confirm if they remain eligible to be registered to vote under the new criteria.  This will be done by asking electors to confirm if they meet the new historical residency requirements. Electors can receive up to three review notices from us by email, letter and a personal contact.

If an EU citizen receives correspondence that requires them to confirm their historical residency, please follow the instructions contained in the e-mail or letter as soon as possible to avoid subsequent correspondence.