Why you need to be on the Electoral Register

As well as enabling you to vote at national and local elections, it is a way for you to get a credit rating from Credit Reference Agencies. If you're not registered, it may impact you when applying for things like mortgages and mobile phones. This is because credit agencies use the register to validate applications. 

Many people wonder why they have to be on the Electoral Register if they already pay Council Tax. The Electoral Register is a separate register to Council Tax and we cannot register people on their behalf. By law, people need to register themselves. 

If we have invited you to register to vote, it is important that you respond. If you don't, we will send you reminders through the post and someone will visit your home. At the end of this process, we may send you a requirement to register. If you fail to do so without providing adequate reason why you have not, you may be fined £80.

Once you have registered, you will usually be able to vote from the beginning of the next month. You will receive a letter that tells you the exact date.

In some cases, you may receive a paper 'Invitation to Register' after registering online. Online registration can take a few days to process so it is possible that the letter was prepared before your online registration was processed. You do not need to return the paper form if we have confirmed that we have received your online application.