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Your Council Elections and Local Democracy
Download and print the application form Registering to vote
[PDF ] file size 56Kb
You can register to vote if you live in the borough, are 17 or over and are of British, Irish, E.U. or Commonwealth nationality.
Residence: You must live at the address when you apply to register, you cannot register before moving to an address. If you mainly live abroad please contact the helpline. See below Contact Electoral Services.
Age: Only those aged 18 or over can vote but 17 year olds should also be registered. 16 year olds born on or before 30 November 1990 can also register.
Nationality: Nationality is regarded as passport/s held (or the right to hold a passport). For nationalities other than those listed above please note that indefinite leave to remain does not alter nationality.
Names cannot be added to the register immediately. The law specifies when the register can be updated. This is outlined below:
After 10 August 2007 names of electors can only be added to the register by residents filling in the household registration form. This form is delivered to all properties in early September. The revised register was published 3 December 2007.
Once the revised register is published on or about 1 December, the Electoral Roll is revised on a system called ‘Rolling Registration’. This means that monthly updates are published from January until September. See above How soon will my name be added?
Although at this time registration is not compulsory, individual application forms may be accepted. These application forms must be signed by each applicant personally. We cannot accept signatures from members of the family, carers or powers of attorney.
Please note that council tax is not linked to voter registration in any way.
The Electoral Registration Officer makes and keeps two versions of the Register:
The Full Register: This version lists the names and addresses of all electors. Only certain people and organisations can have copies of the full register and they can only use it for certain specified purposes for example electoral purposes, credit reference, and the prevention and detection of crime. You can check your entry by phoning us.
The Edited Register: This version leaves out the name and address details of people who have
asked not to be included.
The Edited Register can be bought by anyone for any purpose including
Direct Mail Marketing.
If you do not want your name and address details sold in this way
please tick the box on the form.
Go to
If you have any further query please contact Electoral Services:
Go to:
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