Elections
Find out how elections are run, how to register to vote and where to find election results, how constituency boundaries are decided and reviewed, and how to become an election observer.
Register to vote
You can register to vote up to two years before you reach voting age. You can register to vote online - you will need your National Insurance number.
The electoral register
In Northern Ireland you can check to see if you are registered to vote using the Electoral Office Am I Registered Service
The electoral register (sometimes called the 'electoral roll') is a list of the names and addresses of everyone in Northern Ireland who is registered to vote.
By law, your name and address will automatically appear on the full electoral register. But, you can choose to have your name omitted from the edited electoral register (also known as the ‘open register’) by opting out when registering online:
Elections in Northern Ireland
Voters in Northern Ireland can vote in up to three elections. They are:
- the UK Parliamentary elections
- the Northern Ireland Assembly elections
- the Local Government elections
UK Parliamentary elections
In a general election, every area in the UK votes for one Member of Parliament (MP) to represent them in the House of Commons at Westminster.
There are 650 geographical areas, called constituencies. Northern Ireland has 18 of these Westminster constituencies, each with one MP.
The last UK Parliamentary election was held on 4 July 2024
Northern Ireland Assembly elections
Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly normally take place every five years.
Each of the 18 Northern Ireland constituencies elects five Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) giving a total of 90 MLAs.
The last Northern Ireland Assembly election was held on 5 May 2022.
Local government elections
Elections to local government, commonly called local councils, take place every four years.
The last local government elections were held on Thursday 18 May 2023.
The number of councillors varies from council to council depending largely on the size of the council area.
Voting systems
Proportional Representation is an electoral system designed to more accurately represent the opinions of the voters.
The Proportional Representation system used in Northern Ireland is called the Single Transferable Vote (STV).
Every voter has one vote and they number candidates in order of preference 1,2,3 and so on. This system is used at Local Council and Assembly elections.
At elections to the Westminster Parliament the traditional First Past-the-Post system is used. This means you simply put a single 'X' in the box beside the one candidate you support.
Voting at elections
There are rules on which nationalities can vote in Northern Ireland at each election but you must be aged 18 or over on polling day.
You can either vote in person at a local polling station (usually a nearby school or hall), by post or by appointing someone to vote for you (a proxy).
Voting in person
You'll get a poll card before the election, telling you where and when to vote.
Polling stations are open from 7.00 am to 10.00 pm on the day of an election.
If you don’t have an acceptable form of photo ID to use at a polling station you can apply for an Electoral Identity Card:
Voting by post or proxy
You can find out about voting by post or by proxy on the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI) website:
More information about voting at elections on the EONI website:
Election results
The results for elections held in Northern Ireland are published on the EONI website.
You can also find the latest election coverage on news websites, radio and social media.
The Chief Electoral Officer
The Chief Electoral Officer administers elections and manages the electoral register in Northern Ireland.
The role is independent of government and the Chief Electoral Officer is helped by the staff of EONI.
The Electoral Commission
The Electoral Commission is an independent body that works to make sure elections, referendums and electoral registration are well run in Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.
It also makes sure people understand the rules around money for political parties and that it is being used properly.
Contact the Electoral Commission if you would like to apply to become an accredited electoral observer at elections.
Constituencies and boundaries
The Boundary Commission for Northern Ireland reviews the parliamentary constituencies in Northern Ireland.
It also makes recommendations to the Secretary of State for changes to the constituency boundaries.
Standing for election
During election periods the Electoral Office publishes information for people interested in standing as a candidate in different types of elections.