Electoral register
The electoral register is a list of people who are eligible to
vote in an election. If you wish to vote in an election, your name
must be on the register.
How to register
Each year, during August and November, we send out electoral
registration forms to every houshold in the borough. If you do not
return the form, we send out canvassers to obtain the information
for our records. From the details given, we then compile the
register of electors and the details are published annually on 1
December. The law requires that this information is supplied by the
householder.
If you are not on the register, or have moved home, changed your
name or are coming up to 18 you can complete a voter registration
form. We can add names to the register from 1 January to 1
September using the rolling registration system. Contact 0151 443
2222 to request a form.
The rolling registration forms will be updated in accordance
with the statutory timetable.
Who can register?
- You must be resident in the electoral area.
- You must be a British or Irish citizen, Commonwealth citizen or
a citizen of a European Union country.
- You must be 18 years of age. 16 or 17 year olds may also be
able to register depending on your date of birth.
- You must not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote.
You can also register if any of the following applies to
you:
- You are working away (unless you are away for more than six
months).
- Residents who live in your household but are away for the time
being (e.g. on holiday, students, in hospital - including voluntary
patients in psychiatric hospitals).
- Any other residents, lodgers or guests (but not short-stay
visitors) in the household.
- British citizens living abroad can be registered for up to 15
years after they last appeared on a register in the UK, but can
only vote in Parliamentary and European elections only.
- Members of the armed forces, Crown servants and their partners
must register annually, but can do so as 'service' voters or as
ordinary voters.
Which countries are in the Commonwealth?
Antingua & Barbuda, Australia, The Bahamas, Bangladesh,
Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei Darussalam, Cameroon, Canada,
Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji Islands, The Gambia, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana,
India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia,
Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New
Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, St Kitts & Nevis,
St Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines, Samoa, Seychelles,
Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka,
Swaziland, United Republic of Tanzania, Tonga, Trinidad &
Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Kingdom, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe,
Hong Kong.
Which countries are in the European Union?
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Ireland, Latvia,
Lithuania, Luxemburg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal.
What are full and edited registers?
Full register
The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote.
Certain people and organisations can have a copy of the full
register, but they can only use it for specific purposes, for
example, electoral purposes, prevention and detection of crime or
checking your identity when applying for credit. The law says who
can have a copy of the full register and what they can use it
for.
Edited register
The edited register is available for general sale and can be
used for any purpose. It can be bought by any person, company or
organisation and can be used for commercial activities such as
marketing. You can opt out of having your details appear on the
edited register when completing the registration form.
I am a student and live away from home. Where do I
register?
Students are entitled to register at their home address and
their university address. Although it is an offence to vote more
than once in a national election, you can vote in local elections
at both addresses.
Where can I inspect the register of electors?
Knowsley
branch libraries hold copies of the register of electors.
In accordance with the Representation of the People (England and
Wales) Regulations 2002, the following rules apply to people
inspecting the register of electors:
- The register is open to public inspection, under
supervision.
- Extracts from the register may be recorded only by making hand
written notes. Photocopying or electronic recording are not
permitted by law.
- Information taken from the register must not be used for direct
marketing purposes (as per section 11(3) of the Data Protection Act
1998), unless the information has been published in the edited
version of the register.
- Under the regulations referred to above, anyone who fails to
observe these conditions is committing a criminal offence. The
penalty is a fine of up to level 5 (currently £5000).
Can I search for the electoral register online?
There is currently no centralised electoral register that can be
searched online. Please contact the Elections Team on 0151 443 2222
or inspect the register at Knowsley branch libraries.
Why can't I get credit?
You may have been refused credit because your bank or credit
reference agency are unable to verify your details on the electoral
register. This is because the electoral register is often used for
credit referencing purposes to counteract fraud. Contact the
election helpline on 0151 443 2222 to confirm if you are registered
or to request a registration form.