The electoral register

The electoral register is kept in two forms. The electoral register and the open register.

The electoral register

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

Only certain people and organisations can have copies of the electoral register, and they can only use it for certain reasons. These include running elections, preventing and detecting crime and checking your identity when you have applied for credit.

The open register

The open register is an extract of the electoral register, but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation.

For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed. Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote.

The council doesn't decide who is allowed a copy of the open register or what it can be used for. The law says that we must sell it to anyone who wants a copy.

Request to have your details removed from the open register

Confirm your vote

Once a year we ask you to confirm your electoral registration details. When you receive your form you can confirm your registration online at https://householdresponse.com/rugbybc.