About the electoral register

The Electoral Registration Officer keeps two registers - the electoral register and the open register (also known as the edited register).  

The electoral register

The electoral register is the list of everyone who is registered to vote. If you are not on the electoral register, you will not be able to vote in elections and you will lose your opportunity to have your say about what goes on in your area.

 It is a legal requirement that all electors appear on the full version of the electoral register. 

Only credit reference agencies, government bodies, elected members and political parties may use the information in this register for specific purposes. 

The open register

The open register can be bought by anyone who asks for a copy and they may use it for any purpose. 

You can choose to have your details removed or ‘opt out’ of the open register if you do not want your name and address to be included. When you register to vote at a new address, you are given the option to ‘opt out’ straight away, but you can do this at any time. 

Opting out of the open register does not affect your ability to vote or your credit score. 

If you would like to opt out of the open register you can do this online. See ‘Opting out’ of the open register for more information. 

Last updated: 15/06/2022 15:53