Electoral Registration
How to Register
Please note that paying council tax does not automatically put you
on the Electoral Register and so you must make sure that you
register by one of the following ways:
- Annual Canvass
- Rolling Registration
Annual Canvass
The Representation of the People
Act (1983) states that the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO)
must carry out an annual canvass of properties and produce a
revised Register of Electors by 1 December each year.
During the period August to
December the Council carries out its annual canvass of all
households in the local authority area. During this time you
will receive a canvass form showing the details we currently hold
for your address. You need to check the details
carefully. At this point you can amend the details
as required, such as remove names, add new ones, request a
postal vote or opt out of the Edited Register. This form then
needs to be signed, dated then returned to us in the pre paid
envelope provided.
Please follow this link to our annual canvass page
for more details
Rolling Registration
Outside of the Annual Canvass new
electors are added to the register on a monthly basis so
if you find that your name does not appear on the Electoral
Register or you have moved house since the annual canvass then
you can apply to have your name added to the register for your
current address. Similarly, if you find that your
details are incorrect or you change your name you can apply
under rolling registration to amend your details on the
Electoral Register.
Please follow this link to our
Rolling Registration page for more details
There are also special arrangements
for registering some people such as British Citizens living
overseas, Service personnel, homeless people etc. Please see
our Special category elector page for
further information.
Who can register
You can register to vote if you are:
- 16 years old or over and
- a British citizen
- or an Irish, qualifying Commonwealth or European Union citizen
who is resident in the UK
If you are 16 or 17, you can only register if you will be 18
within the lifetime of the electoral register. You cannot vote
until you are 18.
At the top of this page is a link
to the full list of Commonwealth and European Union countries. If
you are a citizen of one of these countries, and resident in the
UK, you are eligible to register to vote in UK elections.
To qualify, Commonwealth citizens
must be resident in the UK and either have leave to remain in the
UK or not require such leave.
Citizens of the European Union who
are not Commonwealth citizens can vote in European and local
elections in the UK, but are not able to vote in UK Parliamentary
general elections.
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Why should I register
If you are not on the Electoral
Register you will not be able to have your say and vote in any
elections, both locally or nationally. Also, if your
name is not on the register it may affect your credit rating
and you could experience problems getting loans, mortgages,
finance agreements, mobile phone contracts etc.
How to check if you are registered.
You are required to call in person to the Civic Centre Reception,
where you can inspect the Full Electoral Register under
supervision. Please note that if your name does not appear on
the Electoral Register you will not be able to vote and it may also
affect your credit rating.
About The Register
The Register of Electors is a list of people who are eligible to
vote. There are two versions of the electoral register:
- The Full Register
- The Edited Register
The full register lists everyone who is
entitled to vote and includes their address. 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 for checking your identity when you have applied for
credit.
The edited
register is a version of the register that can be bought
by anyone who wants a copy, and they can use it for any
purpose. Both the annual canvass forms and the rolling
registration forms have the facility of 'opting out' of the
edited version of the register. That means that the elector's name
will only appear in the full register which has the restricted
access described above.
Please see our webpage - who has my personal details? for
further information.
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Sale and Supply of the Register
The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations
2001, restricts the sale of the full register to certain government
departments and credit reference agencies. The fee is calculated in
accordance with section 111 paragraph 5.
The Representation of the People (England and Wales) Regulations
2001, states that anyone can purchase a copy of the edited register
on payment of a fee calculated in accordance with section 10
paragraph 2.
a) in data form, the fee shall be at the rate of £20 plus £1.50 for
each 1,000 entries (or remaining part of 1,000) in it.
b) in printed form the fee shall be at the rate of £10 plus £5 for
each 1,000 entries (or remaining part of 1,000) in it.
If you wanted to purchase the edited register please contact us on
01279 446047 and we will calculate the cost and explain payment
details.
Contact Details
Harlow Council
Electoral Services
Latton Bush Centre
Southern Way
Harlow
Essex
CM18 7BL
Telephone: 01279 446042
Fax: 01279 446464
E-mail: registration@harlow.gov.uk