Electoral register

Electoral Registration

Topics:    

1. What is the Electoral Register

2. Individual Electoral Registration

3. Registration Dates

4. Changing your details

5. Removal from the electoral register

6. Annual Canvass

7. Credit Reference Agencies

          

   1       What is the electoral register?

   Registration officers keep two registers – the electoral register and the open register (also known as the edited register which is an extract of the electoral register).

   The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections. The register is used for electoral purposes, such as making sure only eligible people can vote. It is also used for other limited purposes specified in law, such as: detecting crime (e.g. fraud), calling people for jury service, and checking credit applications.

   The open register is an extract of the electoral register, but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details.  Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote.

   You can find more information about both registers and how they may be used at

   www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. If you are currently on the open register and wish your details to be removed, please inform us in writing by emailing electoralregistration@selby.gov.uk.

The electoral register can be viewed by members of the public. If you want to view the current register you can do so at the Council's main customer contact centre, Market Cross, Selby (full address and contact details can be found on the contact us page).

All viewings of the register will be supervised by a member of our customer services team, if you would like to view the register, it is via a drop-in service, first come first served

2       Individual Electoral Registration

Privacy Notice

Please find the privacy notice for elections and electoral registration here

Registration

In 2014 the legislation changed as to how residents can be added to, changed on, or removed from the register.

The government provided guidance and prescriptive forms which we must adhere to when making any changes to the electoral register.  We can no longer move electors from one property to another or make changes without supporting documentary evidence being provided.

To be added to the register

Each person must complete an individual application.  The easiest way to do this is via the government website https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

If you do not have internet access we can arrange for a hard copy of the form to be posted to your address, but we require the full name of each person requiring a form as they need to be personalised.

When you receive the form you are asked to provide:

Your full name and address,

Any previous address (so we can start the deletion process from this address

when you are registered at your current address)

Your contact details (which are only stored and used in relation to your application on the electoral register)

Your nationality (required to validate your eligibility to vote).

Your date of birth

Your national insurance number

Whether you wish to be on or excluded from the edited/open register

Your voting preference – ie if you require a postal vote

The information is the same regardless of how you register.  Your application is then validated by DWP verifying your details match information they hold linked to your national insurance number and date of birth.  If all your details match we can add you to the register, if they do not we are required to ask for additional supporting evidence.  If the evidence is acceptable you are added to the register, if not we write and advise what we require.  If we do not receive sufficient evidence we are unable to accept your application and have to reject it.  We would always write and confirm this to you.

3       Registration dates

Every council has to follow specific dates in relation to publication of the revised electoral register and monthly updates throughout the year.  The only amendments to these dates are linked to an election and can be found on our website page specific to an upcoming election.

The registration date is the last date someone’s application can be received to be included in the following months register update .  The supporting evidence date is the last date any additional information can be received (for that month) if someone did not get verified by the DWP data matching exercise.

The published and distributed by date is that which the updated details are available to public view, or passed to licensed recipients, ie credit reference agencies.

4          Changing your details

If you wish to change your details, ie change your name, we need the details of your previous and your new name along with the supporting document to confirm this change.  If you do not provide the documentary evidence we are unable to process this change.  Please note – if you vote by post and change your name, your existing postal vote will be cancelled and you need to complete a new application as your signature may be different.

5          Removal from the register

In line with the changes in 2014 (apart from when an elector has died) to remove someone from the register we require two sources of information to complete the process.  In most cases we are notified someone has moved out of a property which starts the removal process, we then write to that person at that address which allows them to the time to ensure we have been given and acted upon the correct details, and if no response is received the removal is completed.  Many electors have their post re-directed, and having received this letter either confirm the details are correct or re-register at their new address which removes them from their old one.

6       Annual Canvass

All councils are legally obliged to write out to every property in their district advising who is on the electoral register at that address. We would normally commence this process around June each year.

We are legally obliged to send at least two further reminders and someone to call at the property to ascertain this information if no response to the mailing is received.

We promote the use of electronic returns where possible – online, text or phone as this, and responding before we have to print and post reminders reduces the costs to the council which in turn allows the money to be better used providing services you as residents require.

Whilst the majority of our households can respond confirming all the details remain the same approximately a third make changes.  The changes can be:

People moving in or out,

Children reaching 16 and being added

Children leaving home and being removed

Changing name due to marriage etc,

Changing voting preference ie asking/cancelling a postal vote

Changing inclusion/exclusion from Open/edited register

The Household Enquiry Form (HEF) we send out lists all residents we currently have registered at a property and we ask you to amend the form identify anyone to be removed or added to the register at this address.  This does not make the change to the register but notifies the council what is required to enable us to make further enquires or send out the forms we need completing and returning to arrange the change.

The registration process is therefore two stages when someone wants adding to the register, the first is to let us know someone eligible is now living at that address, and the second part is for them to register – see Individual Electoral Registration for how to apply.

7       Credit Reference agencies

Many residents now check the credit scores provided by credit reference agencies.  One of the ways to improve your credit rating is to be on the electoral register as this is one of the sources checked to confirm identity and how long someone has lived at a property.

To receive a copy of the electoral register from a local authority the credit reference agency has to have a license from the government and is only permitted to use the data in line with their agreement.

We provide the information as requested by them on the dates specified in the registration dates table in section 3.  Whilst we update our register each day with new applications for the purposes of elections, it can take several weeks before it is sent to a credit reference agency. 

We maintain the register for the purpose of elections only and have no control over how and when your data is updated by a credit reference agency.

You can find out more on GOV.UK.