On Thursday 1 May, elections will be held for 23 councils and six mayors in England.
Click here to find out if there is an election in your area (some have been delayed, as explained in this news story).
We believe that Christians have an important role to play in elections: to love, to pray, and to vote.
Register to vote
We believe firmly in encouraging everyone who is eligible to vote to do so. You can register online or with a downloaded paper form. It takes about 5 minutes, and you will need to know your National Insurance number.
To vote in the 1 May 2025 elections, you need to register to vote by 11:59pm on 11 April 2025.
You do not need to register to vote for each election. If you have recently changed address or changed your name, you will need to make sure your details are up to date by registering to vote again.
You can register to vote using the button below. If you would prefer to fill in a paper form or would like to speak to your local Electoral Registration Office, you can find more details by entering your postcode here.
Voter ID
As well as being registered to vote, you will need photo ID to vote these elections.
The deadline to apply for free voter ID for the 1 May elections is 5pm on Wednesday 23 April 2025.
Alternatively, apply for a postal vote, by 5pm on 14 April 2025, at https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
If you have lost your photo ID, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5pm on polling day.
You can find information about Voter ID from The Electoral Commission here.
Could your church become a Voter Registration Champion?
The Baptist Union of Great Britain, Church of Scotland, Methodist Church and United Reformed Church are all ambassadors for the Voter Registration Champions initiative set up by Citizens UK.
The Electoral Commission estimated that 8 million eligible voters missed out on voting in the latest general election because they were not properly registered. 4 million eligible voters missed out because they didn’t have Photo ID. And 14 million eligible voters didn’t see the point of turning out to vote.
The research shows you are at greater risk of not being able to participate in the democratic process if you are young, a non-UK national, rent your home, have moved recently, live in an economically-disadvantaged community, or are from an ethnic minority.
The Voter Registration Champions scheme has been set up to engage groups to address this, and encourage democratic participation, in a non-partisan way. Organisations, employers, universities and community and faith groups can be accredited as Voter Registration Champions, and will be provided with free support and resources to help them enrol voters.
Local churches are encouraged to sign up as Voter Registration Champions, as a way of helping to ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate and be heard in the democratic process.
Navigating disinformation
“Fake news” may be a useful outburst for politicians who want to avoid scrutiny, but it is becoming a serious threat to democracy. How can people decide who to vote for if the evidence they use to make that decision is untrue?
Read our tips to help you and your church avoid sharing “fake news”:
A prayer for voters
Loving God, we face a choice.
Be with us as we consider the options
weigh the arguments
and assess the claims and the candidates.
But also prompt us to listen:
to the voices on the margins
to the cry of the earth
and to those who reach a different conclusion to us.
God, we pray that you would
stimulate our minds
stir our hearts
and sanctify our choosing.
Help us also to remember
your command to love our neighbours
both during and after this election.
Amen