What is the Electoral Register?

The Electoral Register is a list of everyone who is registered to vote and you can only vote at elections if you are on the Electoral Register.  You are not automatically registered to vote just because you pay Council Tax. 

The Register is updated once a year by a canvass of the Borough.  During the canvass every property in the Borough is sent a registration form which you are required by Law to complete and return even if you don't want to vote.  The qualifying date for each year's Register is 15th October and every eligible person should register where they are living on that date.  The new Register is published on 1st December each year and remains in force until 30th November the following year.

To check if your name is on the current Register you can contact Electoral Services who will be able to check the Register or you can inspect the Register yourself at the Town Hall.

There are two versions of the Register.  Your details will appear on the full version of the Register, but you can choose whether or not your details appear on the edited version.  The full Register is used for elections, preventing and detecting crime, and checking applications for credit.  The edited Register is available for general sale and can be used for commercial activities such as marketing.

Inspection of the Register

The Edited Register is the copy of the register that contains only the names of those voters that have not opted out of having their names passed on for non-electoral purposes.  It can be inspected at the Town Hall during normal office hours Monday to Friday.

The Full version of the register is available for public inspection.  However, the Representation of the People Regulations 2006 state that this inspection must take place under supervision.

Anyone wishing to inspect the Full version of the register may find that they can do so by prior appointment only.  Please contact Electoral Services on 01372 732152 for further information.

(Please note that subject to staff availability, inspection time may be limited to 20 minutes per appointment.  Please also give 24 hours notice of any intention to inspect.)

Although you now have the option of withholding your name from the edited Register, you may find that your name is still included on mail marketing lists and you continue to receive unsolicited mail.  If you don't want to receive advertising mailings you should write to: Mailing Preference Service, FREEPOST 29 LON20771, London W1E OZT or visit their website www.mpsonline.org.uk

It is now possible to register each time you move home.  Changing address no longer means leaving your vote behind.  Rolling registration was introduced in February 2001 so now you can register to vote at any time.  If you are not registered or if you have moved home since October last year, you will need to fill in an electoral registration form which is available from Electoral Services at the Town Hall.

The register is updated each month with a deadline for receipt of applications 15 days before the end of each month. The exception to the normal deadline rule is at election time when any eligible elector may make an application to be added to the register up to 11 working days before the election. A notice showing the monthly updates to the register is published each month except during the canvass period.

Who can register to vote

• Anyone 16 or over (but you cannot vote until your 18th birthday)
• British or Commonwealth citizens (view list of eligible Countries) 
• Citizens of the Irish Republic
• Citizens of other European Union (EU) countries (view list of Countries)
• Homeless people who were unable to register because they had no fixed address are now able to make a declaration of local connection - giving an address of, or nearest to, a place where they spend a substantial amount of their time, for example a local day centre.
• Patients in mental hospitals (other than those who are held there because of criminal behaviour) are able to register to vote without the need to pass the additional test of making a patient's declaration.
• Unconvicted or remand prisoners are able to register in the establishment where they are held if they are likely to be spending a long period remanded in custody.  Convicted prisoners are still unable to vote.

Related Pages

Can you vote?
Postal and Proxy Voting
Standing for Elections
Where to vote
Overseas Electors 
Electoral Boundaries
Borough Council Elections
County Council Elections
Parliamentary Elections
European Parliamentary Elections