Electoral register

The electoral register is the list of everyone who is registered to vote in a local area.

To be on the electoral register, you must register to vote. You are not automatically added to the electoral register, even if you pay council tax.

You cannot vote at elections if you are not on the electoral register. Not being on the register can also affect your credit rating.

There are two versions of the electoral register:

• The full register - this is used for elections, preventing and detecting crime, and checking applications for credit
• The edited register - this is available for general sale and can be used for commercial activities like marketing

Your details appear on the full register automatically, but you choose whether your details are on the edited version when you register to vote.

Check the electoral register

To check if you are on the electoral register, contact your district council who can let you know.

If you're not sure, use The Electoral Commission's postcode checker to get the details of your district council.