Electoral registration

If you're not registered, you can't vote!

This page contains information on how to register on the and whether you are eligible to vote.

Register of electors

The register of electors, also known as the electoral roll, is a list compiled and held by the council. It contains the names and addresses of everyone eligible to vote in UK elections or referendums. You must apply to be on this list, you are not automatically registered if you pay Council Tax. Your registration lasts for a year and you can register to vote from the age of 16, although you cannot vote until you are 18.

You can register throughout the year as the register is updated every month. This is useful if you move home and need to register at your new address. Most people register during the annual electoral canvass in October when we deliver a registration form to your home.

The council maintains 2 registers.

1. Public or full register - this contains every person on the register and can be viewed by anyone at the Civic Offices in Epping. This is used for elections, preventing and detecting crime and checking applications for credit
2. Edited register - this is available for general sale and can be used for commercial activities such as marketing. During the registration process you can opt not to appear on this version by simply ticking a box on the registration form

To prevent fraud, registration forms are not available for collection but are posted out to the address to be registered at.

I've received a registration form - what do I do now?

You should check that it contains the details of every person permanently resident at your address who is

• Aged 16 years or over
• A British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union citizen living in the UK

You should also check whether anyone shown on the form is no longer a permanent resident. Finally you should return the completed form to the Electoral Registration Officer at the civic offices in Epping so that the details can be included in the electoral register.

You can register at any point in the year and your entry will be added to the electoral register the following month as it is updated each month. This is useful if you move home and need to register at your new address. It may take credit rating agencies longer to pick up on any changes.

Find out more

You can find out more information on elections and the voting process at the About My Vote website.