Electoral Registration
The Register of Electors is a list of everyone in the borough of Bexley who is registered to vote. In order to vote, your name must be included on the Register of Electors for the area where you live.
The annual canvass takes place during September and October of each year,
where upon every household will receive by post an electoral registration form.
This must be either completed and returned immediately in the pre paid envelope
supplied, in order to produce the next Register of Electors. Which takes effect from the 1 December of each year.
The Notice of Publication for the Register
of Electors 2009 can be viewed here.
The information on the form is used to revise the register.
Contrary to popular belief, paying council tax at your current address does not mean that you are automatically put on the register of electors. The two are not connected in any way.
You are required by law to register to vote, even if you do not intend to vote. If you do not register or you give false information, you could be fined £1,000.
British Citizens, citizens of the Irish Republic and Commonwealth Citizens
have full voting rights. The full list of
Commonwealth countries and British dependant territories can be viewed here.
Rolling Registration
You can still register at other times of the year by downloading and completing
a rolling registration form  here (16KB, PDF
file). The register is updated on a monthly basis. The document below shows
the first and last dates for receipt of your application and the dates on which
the register will be updated.
Monthly
Revisions to the Published Register of Electors 2009 (14KB, PDF file)
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Nationality
Citizens are now required by law to state their nationality on the registration form.
A visa allowing foreign nationals to stay in the United Kingdom indefinitely is not the same as citizenship.
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Jury Service
The registration form also includes a question about eligibility for jury service.
People over the age of 70 are not eligible for jury service. If you are over 70 please put a cross in the appropriate box.
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Service Voters
Members of the armed forces and their partners may register as service voters but must register annually using the Service Voters form (170KB, PDF files), or they can now register as ordinary electors.
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Crown Servants
Crown servants working abroad and their partners may register by completing this Crown Servants application form (139KB, PDF files).
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Overseas Electors
British Citizens living abroad can remain registered for up to 15 years after they last appeared on the register of electors in the United Kingdom. Overseas Electors application form (208KB, PDF file)
Citizens of the European Union Member States may vote at local and European
elections. The
full list of European Union Member States is available here.
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Anonymous Registration
Certain people can now apply to be entered anonymously on the register of
electors. Although the register of electors is in alphabetical street order and
not name order, there are some people who feel that being on the register
of electors could affect their safety. e.g. people escaping from domestic violence
or those where their occupation would mean they must keep their identity private.
If you feel that you are at risk by your name appearing on the register of electors
you can apply to be entered anonymously and if your application is accepted your
name and address will not be shown. Any person living with you can
also apply to vote in this way.
You will need to complete a form giving the reason for needing to be registered
anonymously. You are required by law to provide documentary evidence
in the form of a court order or injunction. If you do not have either of these
you are required by law for your application to be supported by one of the
following people:
- the Chief Officer of Police of any police force in England and Wales
- the Chief Constable of any police force in Scotland or the Police Service
of Northern Ireland
- Director General of the Security Services or the Serious Organised Crime
Agency
- a Director of Adult Services or Children's Services in England, a Director
of Social Services in Wales or a Chief Social Work Officer in Scotland
The qualifying officer does not have to be based in the same area as you, but
the supporting documentation cannot be signed by a more junior person within
their organisation.
To apply to register anonymously please contact a member of the Electoral Services team.
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Two versions of the register
The law has now changed so that you have some choice about the use of your personal information.
As a result of the changes, there will be two versions of the register - a full version and an edited version.
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The Full Register
The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote. Anyone can look at the register under the supervision of a member of staff and make handwritten notes, but they cannot make copies. You can check it by calling in to the Contact Centre at Civic Offices, Bexleyheath, between the hours of 10am-12pm and 2pm-4pm. If you are enquiring about more than one address an appointment can be made by phoning the Contact Centre on 020 8303 7777.
Only certain people and organisations are entitled to a copy of the full register, and they can only 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 ie a mortgage, loan, opening bank accounts etc.
The law states who can have a copy of the full register and what they can use it for. The full list is given in the Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2002. It is a criminal offence for them to pass it on to anyone else or to use it for any other purpose.
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The Edited Register
The edited register excludes the names and addresses of people who have asked to be excluded from that version of the register. The edited register can be bought by anyone and they may use it for any purpose ie marketing purposes. You can choose not to be on this version of the register by indicating in the appropriate box on the registration form or by writing to us at the address below.
The Electoral Services Office
Bexley Civic Offices
Broadway
Bexleyheath
Kent
DA6 7LB
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