Electoral Registration

Electoral Register

The electoral register is published annually on 1st December. If you are not on the electoral roll you will lose your right to vote and you may also find it difficult to obtain credit or enter into certain financial agreements.

To be included on the electoral roll, please download the form and email it to our Elections team. To request a form to be posted to you, please telephone us on 01935 462462.

The electoral registration officer makes and keeps two versions of the electoral register - the full register and the edited register:-

The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote and includes their address. You can check it by calling at the council offices or at some local libraries. Only certain people and organisations can have copies of the full register, and they can only use it for specified purposes. The main use of the full register is for elections and referendums but it can also be used for other purposes such as the prevention and detection of crime and checking your identity when you have applied for credit. Details of others who can have copies of the full register and what they can use it for are given in the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002. It is a criminal offence not to comply with these regulations. For example, it is a criminal offence either to pass the full register on to anyone or to use it for any purpose, except as allowed by the regulations.

The edited register leaves out the names and addresses of people who have asked for them to be excluded from that version of the register. The edited register can be bought by anyone who asks for a copy and they may use it for any purpose.

Eligibility to Register

In order to be included in the Register a person must:

(a) be resident at a qualifying address in the area;
(b) be a British or other Commonwealth Citizen, a Citizen of the Republic of Ireland or of another Member state of the European Union (see below for eligible EU states);
(c) not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote (age apart);
(d) be aged 16 years or over;

Students

A student who has a permanent home address and a term-time address can be lawfully registered at both addresses. If an elector is registered to vote in two different electoral areas, they are eligible to vote in local elections for the two different local councils. However, it is an offence to vote twice in any one election, ie Parliamentary Election. Such an offence could result in a fine of up to £5,000.

Nationality

2011 Register of Electors Annual Canvass