HM Armed Forces, Crown Servants and British Council Employees

Register to vote if you are in His Majesty’s Armed Forces

People in His Majesty’s armed forces, and their spouses and civil partners, can register to vote as a service voter or an ordinary voter.

If you're based overseas or expect to be posted abroad in the next year, you should register as a service voter. This allows you to be registered at a fixed address in the UK even if you move around. A service voter registration also lasts for 5 years, so once you're registered, you should not have to worry about it while posted overseas.

You will need your service number to register.

Register to vote (armed forces)

If however you are based in the UK for the foreseeable future, we recommend you register to vote as an ordinary elector.

Register to vote if you are a Crown servant or a British Council employee

You can still register to vote if you're working outside the UK as a Crown servant or as an employee of the British Council, or if you're married to, or are the civil partner of, a Crown servant or British Council employee and you're accompanying them during their employment abroad.

Register to vote (Crown servants and British Council employees)

When you apply, ticking that you want to vote by post or by proxy does not automatically make you one of these types of voters. You will get a separate application form to vote by post or proxy and will remain an elector who votes in person until this form has been completed and returned.

Remember, postal votes can be affected by problems with international post systems and we cannot guarantee that they will arrive in time. Appointing a proxy is the best way to make sure you are able to cast your vote.