To vote in a UK Parliamentary general election a person must be registered to vote and also:
- be 18 years of age or over on polling day
- be resident in the UK
- be a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a citizen of the Republic of Ireland
-
not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote
Additionally, the following cannot vote:
- members of the House of Lords (although they can vote at elections to local authorities, devolved legislatures and the European Parliament)
- EU citizens resident in the UK (although they can vote at elections to local authorities, devolved legislatures and the European Parliament)
- anyone other than British, Irish and qualifying Commonwealth citizens
- convicted persons detained in pursuance of their sentences (though remand prisoners, unconvicted prisoners and civil prisoners can vote if they are on the electoral register)
- anyone found guilty within the previous five years of corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election
