Guide to the electoral register

A guide to the electoral register can be found below:

What is the electoral register?

The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in a Council area. The Electoral Registration Officer has a statutory duty to compile the register each year. 

The register is updated on a monthly basis.

Checking whether you are on the electoral register

To check whether your details are already on the electoral register, please contact the Electoral Services team.

There are two versions of the electoral register

• The full version - This includes the names and address of everyone registered to vote
• The open register – this is an extract of the full register that is available for anyone who wants to buy it, e.g. businesses, charities, etc.

Who can use the full electoral register?

We use the register for electoral purposes, such as issuing poll cards.

Candidates, registered political parties and other registered campaigners are allowed copies of the full register for campaigning activities, including sending election communication to voters.

It is also used for:

• detecting crime
• calling people for jury service
• checking credit applications 

Credit agencies

Registered credit agencies can ask for a copy of the full register.

We cannot contact or deal with a credit agency on your behalf. We are able to confirm if you're registered or not in writing and tell you if a specific credit agency's been given a copy of the register.