The Electoral Services Office is responsible for the preparation and annual publication of the Electoral Register on 1 December each year and also maintaining the register during the year.

What is the Electoral Register?
 
The Electoral Register is a list compiled by the Electoral Registration Officer appointed by the Council of persons eligible to vote in elections within the District. The Electoral Registration Officer has a statutory duty to compile it each year.  The revised copy of the register is published on 1 December each year.
 
If your name is not on the electoral register you will be unable to exercise your democratic right to vote.
 
Why should I register to vote?

• If you do not register, you will not be able to vote at any elections
• It is a criminal offence not to complete and return the annual canvass form, or to provide false or inaccurate information; liable to a fine of up to £1,000
• The register of electors is used by credit reference agencies to verify residency of persons applying for credit. It could be more difficult to get credit if you are not on the register.

Who can register to vote?
 
To be eligible for inclusion on the register, you must be:

• Over 18, or reach the age of 18 during the period in which the register is in operation (from 1 December each year to 30 November in the following year)
• A British or Commonwealth Citizen, a citizen of the Irish Republic or a citizen of the European Union. Also citizens of states who became members of the European Union in 2004 should also register to vote.
• Resident in the district.

All applications to be registered as an elector are subject to public inspection to allow for objections to be made in accordance with the Representation of the People Acts.
 
You may be asked to produce evidence to support any information you give.
 
Citizens of European Union countries resident in the District are entitled to register and vote at local elections (District and Parish) and also European Parliamentary elections. You must fill in an additional form to vote in European Parliamentary elections (see 'Downloads').
 
Separate arrangements are made to register:-

• members of HM Armed Forces;
• Crown Servants living abroad;
• Overseas Electors (British Citizens living abroad);
• people with no fixed address in the area who can register by means of a "declaration of local connection";
• patients in mental hospitals; 
• prisoners on remand.
  

Can I register if I haven't got a permanent address?

Yes.  Anyone without a permanent address can register in the area where they spend a substantial part of their time, even if that is not a permanent residential address.  You need a special form to do this.  The Electoral Services Office (see Contact Us link below) can send you a form, or you can collect one from the office if you do not have a postal address.

Who has access to my personal details on the register?
 
The Electoral Register is now published in two versions - the full and the edited version.  It is a legal requirement that all electors appear on the full version however; it is possible to opt out of the edited version.

The edited version is available to anyone for any purpose but the full version may only be used for electoral purposes, by credit reference agencies and by the police. If you chose to opt out of the edited version of the register this means that your details will be kept private and are not for general sale.
 
You can choose not to be included in the edited version of the register by ticking the opt out box on the annual canvass form or on the rolling registration form if you move during the year and register for your new address.
 
I am moving abroad. Will I be entitled to vote?
 
Yes, for a period of 15 years after the last year in which your name appeared in an electoral register.
 
Overseas electors may either appoint a person to vote on their behalf at the polling station, in other words to be a proxy voter, or vote themselves by post (for further information see Related Downloads on the right). Once an application has been approved, it must be renewed every year. The Electoral Services office will send overseas electors a reminder form for this purpose.
 
If you are registered as an overseas elector you will not be able to vote in local elections.
 
If you need an application form to register as an overseas elector contact the Electoral Services Office and we will send you a copy or download a copy now (see Related Downloads on the right).

How do I Register to Vote? By: