Information on Loughborough

Voting in Loughborough and Charnwood

Posted on 15/08/2008

ballot paper

RESIDENTS in Loughborough and the rest of Charnwood are being encouraged to make sure they don’t lose their right to vote – as Charnwood Borough Council begins the process of updating the electoral register.

Around 66,000 forms will be sent to homes across the Borough at the end of this month and it’s vital they are returned so people can vote in next year’s County Council and European elections.

The Council is required by law to carry out an annual canvass to compile the Register of Electors and it is warning residents that a delay in returning them is an expensive process. From 2001 as a result of the Representation of the People Act 2000, the annual revised register is published on 1 December, although it is possible to update the register with new names each month between January and September.

David Dalby, Charnwood Borough Council’s Head of Democratic Services, said: “It costs a lot of money to chase up forms that are not returned to us.

“We would ask everyone to return their form quickly in order to reduce our costs and minimise the effect on the Council Tax.”

Residents who are not on the register may also find it difficult to obtain credit as it is used by credit reference agencies to verify the address of applicants.

There are three different ways for people to return or update their forms – either by phone, post or online.

If the pre-printed details on the form are correct, residents can call a freephone number or log on to the internet to confirm this.

However, the form does need to be returned by post if there are any changes to the information on it.

The secure telephone registration is available in different languages including Hindu, Gujarati and Urdu and full details of how to confirm or update details are on the back of the form.

The Electoral Registration Officer at Charnwood Borough Council makes and keeps two versions of the electoral register; the full register and the edited register.

The full register lists everyone in Charnwood who is entitled to vote and you can check it by calling at the Council Offices in Loughborough. Only certain people can use it for specified purposes. These include electoral purposes, the prevention and detection of crime and checking your identity when you have applied for credit. The law defines who can have a copy of the full register and what they can use it for. It is a criminal offence for them to pass it on to anyone else or to use it for any other purpose. The full register contains the following information:

  • voter number (two letters indicating the polling district, followed by a number)

    voters name and address

  • date of birth (if 18th birthday falls within a year of the register is published)
  • if the voter has requested a postal vote
  • after an election, an indication of whether or not that voter cast their vote

The edited register however leaves out the name and address of people who have specifically asked for them to be excluded from that version of the register. This register can be bought by anyone who asks for a copy and they may use it for any purpose they wish.

If you do not have a canvass form, or want to find out further details about electoral registration, please contact Charnwood Borough Council’s Electoral Services Section on Loughborough (01509) 634613 or Loughborough (01509) 634612.

Alternatively, log on to www.charnwood.gov.uk/democracy/electoralservices.html