Rolling Registration - December to August

Have your say. Register to vote.

The Electoral Registration Office carries out the statutory function of preparing and publishing the Register of Electors for the Borough of Hertsmere.

Its functions are governed by various statutes, principally the Local Government Act 1972 and the Representation of the People Act 1983.

For electoral purposes the Borough is divided into fifteen wards, which are further sub-divided into forty-eight polling districts.

A Revised Register of Electors is published at the beginning of December each year based, on information relating to those persons eligible to be registered and resident on 15th October. Electoral registration forms are delivered to every residential property in the Borough during September and the law requires that they be completed and returned to the Electoral Registration Officer. It is an offence not to comply with the request for information.

You can only vote in elections if your name is on the register of electors.

The register is updated every autumn, but we can also add names throughout the year.

How do I register?

You need to complete a Voter Registration form . The Electoral Register is updated on a monthly basis. However, due to the statutory timeframe that must be followed it can take up to 7 weeks for your name to appear on the register. Please note the rules are slightly different in the run up to an election and you can register up to 11 working days before polling day.

When you send us your completed, signed form we will add you to our list of new applications. Any elector can then object to your name being added to the Electoral Register. If this happens we will write to you. If it is not objected to we will change your details within 7 weeks of receiving your form and this will be confirmed in writing to you.

Please note we are not connected to Council Tax so you have to register with Electoral Services separately.

Why should I register?

If you don't register then you can't exercise your democratic right to vote in an election and it is much harder to obtain credit if you are not on the register.  You can add your name to the register at any time throughout the year.  However the council is required by law to conduct an annual canvass, which involves delivering voter registration forms to every household in the borough to obtain information about where people live so the electoral register can be updated in December. 

You are required by law to give the information asked for in the form.

What if I am homeless or living in temporary accommodation?

Homeless people or people living in temporary or long-term hostel accommodation are entitled to register to vote.

There are two ways of doing this depending on your situation.  If you have lived and will be living in relatively stable accommodation for a year or longer it is possible to register in the usual way. 

If your situation is less stable, for example if you are sleeping rough or in short-term emergency accommodation, you can register to vote by declaration of local connection.  This means that you can register at any location where you spend a large proportion of your time.  This can be a day centre, a doorway, a project base, shop or café, etc.

You can get a form from the Civic Offices.  Fill it in (you can get someone to help you if you need to) and return it to the address on the form.  This registration will last for up to a year and will need to be renewed every year.  You need to provide an address where you can collect mail, or alternatively, you can collect it from the council. 

Anonymous Registration

New legislation came into effect on 1st June 2007, which enables persons who would be at risk of danger if their name and address where to appear in the Register of Electors, to be able to register anonymously. This means that only an electoral number would be shown in the register under a separate section. All electoral documents would be treated in strict confidence and not available to the general public. Application forms and further information can be obtained from the Electoral Services Department. This also applies to any person living in the same household as another person who is at risk.

Who can look at the electoral register?

There are 2 versions of the Electoral Register, the full version and the edited version.

The Full Electoral Register

The full register is used for elections, preventing and detecting crime, and checking applications for credit. Every elector’s details will appear on the full register. It is public document which can be viewed by anyone under supervision at the Civic Offices.

The Edited Electoral Register

The version of the Register can be purchased by anyone who requests a copy and they may use it for any purpose, such as marketing. It is also held in local libraries. You can choose whether or not to appear on this register by making the appropriate selection on either the annual canvass or rolling registration form.

If you have any queries please contact the Electoral Service Team on T: 020 8207 7481 or email electoral.registration@hertsmere.gov.uk.