There has been a huge spike in the number of people registering to vote as the public prepares itself for an imminent election.
Government figures have shown applications to register to vote have more than trebled this week, with young people in particular among the most eager.
Throughout August applications stood at a daily average of 21,598, but each day this week they rocketed to 66,445 with people aged 34 and younger making up more than half of the 199,135 applications received between Monday and Wednesday.
While the numbers represent applications and not finalised registrations, the upswing coincided with intensifying speculation that Boris Johnson would call an early election over attempts to proceed with a no-deal Brexit.
Mr Johnson has previously said he wants any snap election to be held on October 15, and while we are no closer to knowing if one is going ahead, if that date were correct then the deadline for applying to register would be September 27.
So to make sure you have your say, here are the full details on how to register to vote.
Am I eligible to vote?
To be eligible, you must be:
- Over 18 on the day of the vote
- Registered
- A UK or Irish citizen
- A Commonwealth citizen living in the UK who has leave to enter or remain or does not require the leave
- An EU citizen living in the UK
- A UK citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the past 15 years
What do I need to register?
You will need your National Insurance Number.
Your passport if you are a British citizen living abroad.
How do I register?
It's very simple - all you need to do is register online here. It only takes around five minutes.
I've registered before - do I need to register again?
You may not need to if you were registered last time around.
But you must register again if you have changed address, name or nationality.
Even if you don't have a fixed home you can still register at an address where you spend a lot of your time. This requires you to fill in a form called a declaration of local connection.
How do I check that I've registered?
Your local registration office will have your details. Find out where yours is here.
What happens next?
You will receive a polling card in the post to your registered address once an election is called.
On the back of it will be your nearest polling station. All you need to do then is vote at the station either in person, or arrange for your vote to be carried out by post or proxy.
