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. The definition of a 'Commonwealth
citizen' includes citizens of British Crown Dependencies and
British Overseas Territories.
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.
Back to the Top
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.
Details of those who can have copies of the full register and
what they can use it for are given in the Representation of the
People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002
No.1871). It is a criminal offence not to comply with the
regulations. For example, it is a criminal offence either to pass
the full register on to anyone or to use it for any purpose, except
as allowed by the current regulations.
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.
Back to the Top
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 446042 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