• You can only vote in an election or any referendum if you are included in the current Register of Electors. You may also have a reduced credit reference rating or problems obtaining credit if not registered.

 

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• The Register of Electors is maintained separately from the Council Tax liability file. They are separate lists containing information maintained for different purposes and notifying any council service including Finance for council tax liability will not add or change your details in the Register of Electors

 

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• As soon as possible after any change of address. Individual forms and household forms are both available to complete, sign & return. Each elector must sign an application. A form is sent to every address annually (between August and November) and must be returned with details of all eligible resident electors or names can be removed.

 

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• A signed form must be received by the ERO for any addition to the Register of Electors or to amend your entry in the Register. Completed forms can be returned by scanned e-mail attachment, fax or post. If you supply a contact e-mail address the annual voter enquiry can be e-mailed to you, saving printing and postage costs. Your contact e-mail address plus your name and home address requires to be received by 7th July to participate in 2011. Send to stirling@centralscotland-vjb.gov.uk

• Where no changes are necessary to the electors in your household you are encouraged to respond promptly to the e-mail or printed form by e-mail preferably or by telephone or text. The option to return by post is also provided but it is the most expensive option.

 

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• A statutory timetable dictates when names are added, deleted or changed throughout the year. Between December and September the effective date of addition is usually the 1st Monday of the month but the closing date for applying to register is approximately three weeks earlier. Monthly updates do not take place after 1st September as a canvass of all properties takes place each autumn to allow data to be collected for a new Register published by 1st December. See published list of Additions dates elsewhere on website. Registration cannot be backdated to an earlier date

Getting Added to Register of Electors 

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• It is a legal requirement to respond to a request for information from an ERO. Failure to respond can result in your name being removed from the Register of Electors without further notice. Should no response be received for two years the ERO is required to remove the electors from the Register. The ERO also removes electors when information is received concerning new occupiers, empty properties etc.

 

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• All British, Commonwealth & European Union citizens over 17 years of age resident at the address. Electors currently can vote when they become 18 but should register up to 12 months before their 18th birthday so that they can vote as soon as they become 18.

 

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• Students should register to vote at both their term time address and home address so that they have the option of voting in any election held in respect of either address. It is a criminal offence to vote more than once in any election

 

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• European Union citizens can vote in all local government elections and Scottish Parliament elections if they apply to register to vote. To vote in a European Parliament election an additional form is also required to be completed (only relevant in European Parliament election year). The form is available to download from forms on the website. EU citizens cannot vote in UK Parliament elections or a referendum based on the UK voting franchise.

Downloadable Electoral Forms 

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• Notify the ERO of your address, previous name and new name in a signed letter. You do not need to register using the name on your birth certificate or passport and can register to vote by your commonly known name

 

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• If the address for the period of your lease is your only residence then you should register here. If you have another address that you consider your main residence and at which you carry on the business of life you can register at that address but should notify the ERO (Electoral Registration Officer) of this other address in order that he knows why no-one is registered here.

 

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• A new Register of Electors is published by 1st December each year. Local parts of the registers are usually available to view in local libraries. See Places of Publication details Click the "Register Viewing and Statistics" link below.

Register Viewing and Statistics 

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• A form to request your details from the current register or previous registers is available on request. A charge is made for this - £15 per name per year requested

 

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• The ERO can require anyone who has information on properties in his area to supply information he needs to maintain the Register of Electors. This includes occupiers, tenants, owners and agents. Full names of occupiers, their nationality and previous addresses may be requested for this purpose especially from landlords so that the ERO knows who is resident at any address in his area.

 

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• This is a list of electors’ names and addresses that can be sold to anyone who buys it and it can be used for any purpose. Electors have the opportunity annually on the voter registration form to withhold their name from the names listed in the Edited Register (called an “opt out”). Electors can also request to opt out at any time however as the Edited Register is only published annualy any requested change may only be notified to credit reference companies etc. when they next purchase a Register of Electors.

 

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• For finding out who is entitled to vote in an election or referendum. For electoral purposes by political parties and candidates. Identifying people eligible for jury duty. Credit Reference Companies can purchase the register for checking credit applications. For detection of fraud and for law enforcement purposes. Anyone can look at the Register of Electors and can take hand written notes. It is a criminal offence to supply copies or use information from the Register for purposes other than set down in law.

 

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• The Register of Electors is not published on-line and a name search is not permitted. You can personally view the Register, under supervision, in my office and take hand written notes or ask to see the local part of the register in your library (NB the copies in libraries are usually as at the 1st December each year and do not list changes made throughout the year). See "Register Viewing and Statistics" link below.

Register Viewing and Statistics 

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• No. You need to apply to register to vote at any new UK address. Addresses of other ERO’s can be found at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk. You will be deleted as an elector at your current address as soon as the ERO knows you are no longer resident. British citizens who emigrate can still register to vote as Overseas Electors in UK Parliament elections for up to 15 years after leaving the UK. Forms are available from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk See Link below

About My Vote 

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• Credit Reference companies are entitled to buy the Register of Electors and the ERO must sell them copies if requested to do so. They can only use it for checking credit applications and to detect fraud and money laundering

 

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