Register to vote
To register to vote you have to be 18 or over and British,
qualifying Commonwealth, Irish and other European Union
citizens.
Changing address or moving to the borough
If you change your address after 1 December then all you
have to do is to download, complete and return the electoral
registration form below. You must sign this form yourself and it
must be accompanied by copies of proof of residence for that person
in that property. Failure to provide this will result in the form
being returned and registration may be delayed. This is especially
important for any forms submitted very close to the deadline before
an election as any delays may result in the person not being
registered in time to vote.
Why do I need to register to vote?
If you do not register then you cannot vote in any election.
Credit Reference Agencies use the electoral register when
checking if a person has a good credit rating. If you are not
listed you may have difficulty applying for a loan, credit card,
and mortgage or in opening a bank account. Residents have to be on
the full electoral register by law. Under certain circumstances a
person can register anonymously but will have to follow legal
procedures to do so. If you do not want to go on the edited
register, you should just tick the appropriate box on the
registration form when it is sent to your property.
What information is on the electoral register?
Only the names and addresses of electors are included in the
register and are compiled in address order by polling district and
ward.
The Electoral Registration Officer makes and keeps 2 versions of
the register - the full register and the edited register.
- The full register lists the name and address
of everyone who is registered to vote. The Council holds a copy.
Anyone can look at it, but it is a criminal offence to supply or
use copies for purposes other than those set down by law.
The main use of the full register is to show
who can vote in elections and referendums. Credit reference
agencies can use it, but only to check your name and address if you
are applying for credit and other purposes specified in law. It can
also be used for law enforcement.
- The edited register is available for general
sale and can be used for any purpose. The edited register can be
bought by any person, company or organisation and can be used for
commercial activities such as marketing.
You can choose whether or not you
appear on the edited register when you complete your registration
form.
Find out where to view the electoral
register or how to buy the
electoral register.