Electoral register
The electoral register is updated every month through rolling registration, and registration is now done individually.
If you've moved house or have been missed from the register, you can update your details quicker, and also register to vote online at GOV.UK.
Where to check the Register of Electors
You can view the local register:
- at your local library
- at Council Headquarters, London Road, Kilmarnock
- by contacting the Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board's Electoral Registration Office
Once you have registered you can choose to vote by proxy or by post.
Proxy votes
A proxy vote can be granted to anyone who satisfies the local registration officer that he or she cannot reasonably be expected to vote in person on polling day.
Examples include people who:
- are on holiday
- are ill or in hospital
- away on business
- have moved house but have not had time to register at their new address and are still on the register at their old address
A proxy can also vote by post if preferred.
Postal votes
You can apply for a postal vote permanently or as a one-off in advance of any election.
The video below explains what happens to your postal vote after you send it.
Elections and voting - postal votes video
Who can register to vote
To be registered to vote you must be:
- a resident or deemed resident in the registration area
- a British, Irish, Commonwealth, European Union citizen or foreign national
- aged 14 or over
- not subject to any legal incapacity
How to register to vote
You can register to vote online at GOV.UK.
You can also contact the Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board's Electoral Registration Office. They can take your details by phone and complete the registration for you.
When you can vote
You can vote in:
- Scottish Parliament and local government elections from 16 years old
- UK Parliamentary (Westminster) elections from 18 years old if you are a British or Commonwealth citizen
If you are not a British or Commonwealth citizen, you cannot vote in UK Parliamentary elections.
Voter registration and voting forms
You can download forms for:
- voter registration
- postal voting
- proxy voting
Visit Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board: Download forms
Please print, complete, and return them to the Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board.
Annual electoral canvass
The annual electoral canvass is a legal requirement that takes place every year from July to November.
If you are already registered to vote, you must respond to the emails or letters we send each year to confirm whether the details for your household have changed. If you do not respond, you may be removed from the electoral register.
If you are not yet registered to vote at your permanent address, you must still reply to the annual canvass communication as well as applying to register to vote.
For more information on the Annual Electoral Canvass 2025 please visit Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board : Annual Electoral Canvass.
Current political composition and past election results
View the current political make up of the Council and past Council election results.