ELECTORAL REGISTER - REGISTER TO VOTE

IMPORTANT CHANGES TO THE ELECTORAL REGISTER AND HOW THEY AFFECT YOU

The electoral register lists the name and address of everyone who has registered to vote. By law, the Council has to make the electoral register available for anyone to look at. The register is held at the local electoral registration office (or council office in England and Wales).

There are two versions of the register: the full version and the edited version. When you fill in your electoral registration form, you will be able to choose whether you want your details included in the edited register.

THE TWO VERSIONS OF THE REGISTER

The full register has the names and addresses of everyone registered to vote and is updated every month. Anyone can look at it, but copies can only be supplied for certain purposes, such as elections and law enforcement. Credit reference agencies are also allowed to use the full register, but only to check your name and address if you are applying for credit, and to help stop 'money laundering'. Anyone who has a copy of the register will be committing a criminal offence if they unlawfully pass on information from it. You do not have a choice about your name and address being on this register.

The edited register will be available for general sale and can be used for any purpose. You can choose not to be on it. It will be kept separate from the full register and updated every month. The edited register can be bought by any person, company or organisation and could be used for different purposes such as checking your identity and commercial activities such as marketing.

THE CHOICE YOU HAVE TO MAKE

If you do tick the box on the voter registration form, your name and address will only appear on the full register, which will only be used for certain lawful purposes, such as elections, law enforcement and checking applications for credit.

If you do not tick the box on the voter registration form, your name will also appear on the edited version of the register, which anyone can buy. This means anyone can use your details for any purpose.

The person who fills in and signs the registration form must ask each person named on the form if they want their details to be included on the edited register and so available for anyone to buy.

So, you must tick the box if you do not want your details to appear on the edited register which anyone can buy. Do not tick the box if you want your name and address to be included on the edited register and available to anyone who asks for a copy of it.

ROLLING REGISTRATION

Changes in the laws regarding voting have been made to make it easier for people to register for and vote in elections.

If you are entitled to appear on the Register of Electors - if you have UK, Commonwealth, Irish or European Union Citizenship - you will now be able to register at any time of the year, without waiting until the annual canvass. This means that if you've recently changed address, or if your name wasn't included on the electoral roll when it was last published on 1 December, you can now apply to the Electoral Registration Office to have your details added to the register.

Voters Registration Form

VOTING BY POST OR PROXY

POSTAL VOTING

Postal Voting Form

If you want to vote by post you must give the full address to which your ballot paper should be sent. This can either be your current registered address or an alternative address if you are going to be away during the election period. Whilst this address can be anywhere worldwide, the tight timescale under which elections are run does not always leave enough time for postal ballot papers to be delivered, completed and returned if the delivery address is outside of the EU.

Please ensure that you have completed the date of birth field and that the form is signed and dated before returning the address below.

PROXY VOTING

Proxy Voting Form

If you apply to vote by proxy and your application is accepted, the person you want to vote on your behalf (your proxy) will receive a 'proxy paper' which allows them to vote for you at your polling station on election day.

If you want to appoint a proxy to vote for you, they must be:

• willing to vote on your behalf
• a British citizen or citizen of the Commonwealth or Republic of Ireland; or for local government and European Parliamentary elections, a citizen of the European Union
• old enough to vote and legally allowed to vote

A proxy may not vote at the same election for more than two people unless they are a close relative (husband, wife, parent, grandparent, brother, sister or grandchild) of the people they are voting for. Your proxy does not necessarily have to sign the form. As long as you have consulted them and they have confirmed that they can and will be your proxy, only you need to sign the form.

If you require a proxy vote for one election only (for example if you will away on the date of the election) please complete the form below.

Proxy Voting Form - Single Occasion

In all cases please ensure you have completed the date of birth field and the form is signed and dated before returning the address below.

Contact Details

Email: elections@tendringdc.gov.uk