Electoral Register

The Electoral Register (also known as the electoral roll) is a record of everyone who is eligible to vote.

You can only vote if your name is on the register.

Although you do not have to vote on election day (it is your choice), you are required by law to register. You are not automatically registered, even if you pay Council Tax.

This section of the website includes information about the following:

1.   Who can register to Vote?

2.   How do I register to Vote?

3.   When will I be registered?

4.   The Full and Edited Register

5.   Where can I look at the Register?

6.   Can I use the Electoral Register to look for a lost relative?

7.   Why can't I get credit?

8.   How to contact Electoral Services

9.   Useful links

Who can register to Vote?   

• anyone who is 18 years old or over
• anyone aged 16 or 17 (but you cannot vote until you are 18). Entrants under 18 must include their date of birth on the registration form
• you must be a British, Commonwealth, Irish or European citizen
• anyone who normally lives in your household but is away for the time being - for example on holiday, as students, or in hospital (including voluntary patients in psychiatric hospitals)
• anyone who is working away from home for less than six months
• any lodgers or guests (but not short-stay visitors) in your household, whether this is a private address, a hostel or a club
• members of the Armed Forces, Crown Servants, and British Council employees, and their partners.  They can register annually, but can do so as 'Service' etc. voters or as ordinary voters
• British citizens living abroad can be registered for up to 15 years after they last appeared on a register in the UK

You cannot register to vote if

• you are under 16
• you are not a British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union citizen
• you live or work abroad for more than six months of the year (although you can register as an overseas elector) 

European Union Citizens

Citizens of European Union countries can vote in local government elections but cannot vote in UK Parliamentary elections.

If you are an EU citizen and want to vote in European Parliamentary elections, you must fill in a separate form. Please contact the Electoral Services office to ask for one.

The European Union is made up of 27 member states. They are:  

United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden.

How do I register to Vote?

There are two ways you can register:

• from July – October (annual canvass)

We revise the whole register of electors every year by sending a canvass form to every household in Wirral.  Everyone living in the household who is eligible to vote must be included on the form.  Names can be added or removed from the form. 

There is the option to register by internet or telephone if the information pre-printed on the form is correct.  Instructions on how to register this way will be printed clearly on the canvass form.  You must supply the information asked for. If you do not, or you give false information, you may be fined up to £1000.

The new revised register is then published on the 16th October.

• from November – August (voter registration)

Once the new register has been published it can be updated on a monthly basis.  If you have moved house; or you have reached 18 years of age; or your personal details have changed, you can apply to register by completing a Voter Registration form.  Alternatively, you can download a form and get more information by visiting the aboutmyvote website.  

Each person applying must complete a separate form.  

When you send us your completed form, we will add you to our list of new applications. Any elector can then object to your name being added to the register. If this happens, we will write to you.

If your application is not objected to, we will change your details within seven weeks of receiving your form. We will send you a letter of confirmation when your name has been added to the register.

We will also tell the Electoral Services Officer from your previous address that you have moved, so that your name can be removed from that register. People who live at two homes (including students) are allowed to register at both. If you do not want to be removed from your other address, please explain why on your form. 

You should note that in the run up to an election, you will only be able to vote at that election if your name has been added to the register by not later than 11 working days prior to the election date.

Please remember that being on the council tax list does not automatically register you on the register of electors.

Before completing any of the above forms, it is important to read the notes on the form carefully, especially the reference to the 'Edited' (anchor to The Edited register below) and 'Full' (anchor to the Full register below) register of electors.

When will I be registered?

The Full and Edited register

There are two versions of the register - the full version and the edited version:

• The Full register

The full register shows the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote.  Anyone can look at it, but copies can only be supplied for certain purposes.  These are for elections and referendums and, preventing and detecting crime.  

Credit reference agencies are also allowed to buy the full register and can only use it for checking names and addresses of people applying for credit and to stop money laundering.  

Anyone who has a copy of the full 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 the full register.

The full register can be inspected (please see the guidance for inspecting registers above) under supervision at Register Display Sites across Wirral. Handwritten notes may be taken but photocopying or using a dictaphone to record information is not allowed.  

• The Edited register

The edited register can be bought by any person, company or organisation and can be used for any purpose such as checking your identity and commercial activities such as marketing.  

You can choose not to be included on the edited register by ticking the relevant box on the voter registration or canvass form.  

The edited register can be inspected without supervision and is only available to inspect at the Elections Office in Wallasey Town Hall. Guidance on inspecting the Register is set out below.  

Please contact the Electoral Services Office for more information about buying the edited register.  

Inspecting the Register of Electors

ou can view the whole Wirral register of electors at any main library or at Wallasey Town Hall.  Alternatively, you can view your Ward register at your local library.  

Please note that in accordance with the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002, the following rules apply to persons inspecting the Register of Electors:-  

• the Full Register is open to public inspection, under supervision
• extracts from the Full Register may be recorded only by making hand written notes. Photocopying or electronic recording are not permitted by law
• information taken from the Register must not be used for direct marketing purposes (as per section 11(3) of the Data Protection Act 1998), unless the information has been published in the edited version of the register

Under the Regulations referred to above, anyone who fails to observe these conditions is committing a criminal offence. The penalty is a fine of up to level 5 (currently £5000).  

Can I use the Electoral Register to look for a lost relative?  

The register is listed in address order, so it is not possible to find a person's address simply by looking up their name. 

Why can't I get credit?

If you have been denied credit because your bank or credit reference agency are unable to verify your details on the electoral register, this is because the electoral register is often used for credit referencing purposes to counteract fraud. 

If you are included in the Register of Electors, Electoral Services will confirm this information on the telephone. If the company concerned requires written confirmation that you are on the current register of electors please contact your local One Stop Shop who can provide a letter of confirmation for a fee of £10.  

How to contact Electoral Services    

We can be contacted in the following ways:-

By post:    
Electoral Services
Town Hall
Brighton Street
Wallasey
CH44 8ED

By telephone: (0151) 691 8046

By email: electoral@wirral.gov.uk

Or call in to any Council One Stop Shop.  

Useful Links

The Electoral Commission is an independent body set up by the UK Parliament in 2000. It regulates party and election finance and sets standards for well-run elections. The Commission is independent of Government and answerable to Parliament through a committee chaired by the Speaker of the House of Commons.

The Boundary Commission for England is an advisory Non-Departmental Public Body funded by the Ministry of Justice. The Commission is required by the Parliamentary Constituencies Act 1986 (as amended) to keep the parliamentary constituencies in England under continuous review and periodically, every 8 to 12 years, to conduct a general review of all constituencies in England at the same time and submit to the Secretary of State a report showing the constituencies they recommend. The last review was carried out in 2003.

The Promote the Vote website aims to enable people with learning disabilities to increase their understanding and knowledge of democratic processes and encourage them to register to vote. The project has been funded by the Electoral Commission.