As a result of legislation introduced in the Elections Act 2022, some EU citizens will no longer be automatically entitled to register to vote and stand for election.
EU citizens will only be eligible to register to vote and stand for election if they are citizens of a qualifying EU state or have retained rights. Qualifying EU citizens and those with retained rights will be eligible to vote and stand in local elections only.
Review of EU citizens
As a result of these changes, Lambeth’s Electoral Services Team will be conducting a review of all EU citizens currently registered to vote in Lambeth. Once reviewed, all EU citizens will be sent written correspondence, confirming whether they are eligible to remain on the electoral register.
Please note that this does not apply to any EU citizens who have registered to vote since 7 May 2024.
Which EU citizens will keep their voting rights?
Two groups of EU citizens will keep their voting rights:
- Qualifying EU citizens from countries with reciprocal voting agreements and who have, or do not require leave to remain in the U.K (Spain, Portugal, Poland, Luxembourg and Denmark)
- EU citizens with retained rights, who were residents in the UK on or before 31 December 2020(i.e., before the UK left the EU)
These changes do not affect citizens of the Republic of Ireland or citizens of Commonwealth nations (including Malta and Cyprus, who are members of both the Commonwealth and the EU).
How will I know if I’m still eligible?
We will be contacting all EU citizens who are subject to the eligibility review via written correspondence. Your letter will tell you whether you need to confirm your eligibility to remain on the electoral register.
What do you need to do?
Keep an eye out for your review letter. Letters will be dispatched from Monday 4 November. You will receive one of the following letters:
- Confirmation of Eligibility Letter – This will confirm your continued eligibility to vote and stand in local elections. No further action will be required from EU citizens who receive a confirmation of eligibility letter.
- Notice of Review Letter – EU citizens that we require additional information from will receive a notice of review letter. The review letter will direct you online to complete a historical residency questionnaire. The answers you provide will determine whether you’re eligible to remain on the elector register as a qualifying EU citizen.
Your review letter will contain a unique 9-digit code. You will need to enter this code on the gov.uk website to confirm your eligibility.
We will be hand delivering a second review letter to any EU citizens under review who have yet to respond to their first review letter.
A final review letter will be sent to any remaining non-responding EU electors on Monday 6 January. Any electors who do not respond to this final letter will be removed from the electoral register.
What happens after I confirm my eligibility?
Once the review has been completed all EU citizens that have been reviewed will receive either a confirmation of eligibility or a confirmation of ceased registration letter in accordance with the answers provided on their historical residency questionnaire.
These letters will be dispatched on 30 January 2025.
If you have any questions or concerns related to the EU Eligibility and Confirmation Review, you can contact the Lambeth Electoral Services Department via our website: www.lambeth.gov.uk/vote
