07 October 2008The law requires us to conduct an annual audit of every property in the Sevenoaks District to see who (of voting age) is resident at the property and ensure they are registered to vote. There is also a requirement in law for you to return the form to us or use the online registration service or freephone registration service which we put in place for you during the months of September to November (inclusive). The revised register of electors is then published on December 1st of every year.
Only those whose names are on the register of electors will be able to vote at the forthcoming Kent County and the European elections in 2009. For this reason it is in your interest to get yourself included on the register of electors and now is the time to do it.
From the second week of September you will have received your annual voter registration form. It's so easy - simply fill in the form and return freepost to us or use the freephone service to re-register by calling 0808 161 7673 (you will need to refer to the 'unique reference number' supplied to you on your form) or use the online service at www.register-online.co.uk to re-register (again you will need the 'unique reference number' and you will need the password supplied to you on your form). You may only confirm your registration by using the online service or by using the freephone service, this means that these services are only available to those who registered last year and who just want to confirm their registration. If you are registering for the first time then please return the form by post complete with your details.
If you do not return your annual voter registration form by mid October you will receive a knock on your door from one of our electoral canvassers. The canvassers will be asking you to complete your form and will be bringing your completed form back to the District Council so that your details can be updated for this year. The canvassers are there to help so if you have any questions relating to electoral registration, feel free to ask them.
Remember that all British, Irish, Hong Kong and qualifying Commonwealth and European Union citizens living in the Sevenoaks District can register to vote. Please also note that even if your details haven't changed you are still required by law to register a 'no-change' of details with us. For lists of European Union and Commonwealth countries please see our frequently asked questions section.
Instructions for filling in and returning the form
Instructions for using the telephone registration service
Instructions for using the online registration service
Instructions for filling in and returning the form
If you do not wish to use our freephone or our online voter registration services then you may fill in and send the voter registration form back to us.
Firstly look to see you have the correct form by checking your address at the top left of the form. (If the postman has delivered to you someone else's form by mistake please let us know.) Then look to see if we have pre-printed all the names in your household who are 18 and above in part A. If all names are correct you can then move on to the next parts of section A. If the pre-printed names are wrong simply cross them out and write in the correct ones underneath. (Remember this form is for you at your address so please do not forward the form to the previous occupants of your property - the previous occupants will also be sent a form at their new address.) If the form has no pre-printed names then again simply write the names on the form. Have a read of the Nationality, Jury Service, Edited Register and Postal Vote columns of part A and make amendments if necessary. For a full explanation of part A see frequently asked questions below. In the postal vote column you may see the word POSTAL pre-printed on the form. This means you already have a postal vote arrangement with us and you do not need to re-apply by ticking the box. If however you don't have an existing arrangement with us and would like a postal vote application form then please put a tick in the postal vote column next to your name.
Part B asks whether there are any 16 or 17 year olds living at the address. 16 and 17 year olds are entitled to be on the register of electors but cannot vote until they are 18. Please follow the same instructions above by entering or crossing off pre-printed names as appropriate, enter their date of birth and then consider the edited register and postal vote sections as above.
Part C asks for a reason if no-one at the property should be registered to vote. If the property is empty and yet we have pre-printed names in part A then please cross out the names and write 'no-one'. If the property is or will be empty on 15th October then tick the first box. If the property is in fact a business, tick the second box. If all occupants are foreign nationals, tick the third box and state the nationality too. If you mainly live somewhere else (for over 6 months of the year) and you register at that other place then tick the fourth box and make sure your names are not included in part A.
Sign the form in part D please (unsigned forms will be returned to you for a signature); include your name and the date. Please give us your phone number and e-mail address (optional) in case we need to contact you on anything regarding your form. Turn the form over - there's a useful explanation there regarding the edited and full register (remember to tick the edited register column next to your name if you don't want marketing companies etc. to have access to your details.) Fold the form using the first, second and third fold lines then tuck in and post back to us. Please do not use sticky tape, staples or blue tack to hold the form together as the form may get damaged in the opening and we will be unable to scan the barcode to log your form as returned.
Instructions for using the telephone registration service
If the details shown on the enclosed form are correct, provided you have previously registered at this property, you can use the freephone service. You need to use a touch-tone phone and call the Freephone number given on your form. (Mobile phones may incur a charge.) This number is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week until Friday 28th November 2008. The call should take no longer than one minute. Please enter your unique reference number and follow the instructions. Once done, please don't return the form by post as it will only add to the cost of collecting the information.
Instructions for using the online registration service
You can use the online service to confirm the details on the form as correct provided you have previously registered at this property. Log in to www.register-online.co.uk, this site is available until Friday 28th November 2008. You will be asked to enter your unique reference number and your password which is printed near the top of your form headed "HOW TO REGISTER", then follow the on screen instructions. Once done, please don't return the form by post as it will only add to the cost of collecting the information.
If you move after this annual update to the register you can still re-register at any time; simply download a Voter Registration Form (
PDF 44K file details), fill in, sign and return to us. Should you want an application form to vote by post, please contact us at elreg@sevenoaks.gov.uk or call us on 01732 227188 or 01732 227243.
Frequently asked questions - the annual voter registration form, freephone and online registration
Q.1 My son/daughter is 16/17 - should I include his/her name?
A. Yes - all 16 and 17 year olds must be included on the voter registration form or online. They may vote as soon as they reach their 18th birthday. Please don't disappoint them by forgetting to add their names to your form.
Q.2 My son/daughter is at/will be going to university this year - should I include his/her name on my form?
A. Yes - as students tend to move often it is probably safer to include their names on the register for their home address. Students may register at both a home and a college address but may only vote once at the same election (e.g. a general election that covers the whole country).
Q.3 I have read the notes on the voter registration form but I still don't understand what the "edited" register is.
A. The "edited" register is separate from the voting register but is compiled from the details given on the voter registration form. It is sold to commercial companies and used for marketing purposes - what you may consider to be "junk mail". If you do not want your details used in this way, you can mark a tick against your name in the column headed Edited register on the voter registration form or answer the prompts on the freephone or online service.
Q.4 The form is addressed to the previous occupants of my house - should I forward it to them?
A. No - the form is meant for you and your household. Simply cross out any incorrect names on the form and add your name(s) on the blank lines.
Q.5 My husband/wife/parent has moved permanently into a nursing home - what should I do?
A. Cross that person's name off your form. Nursing and residential homes register their residents directly with the local authority voter registration service.
Q.6 I'm registered for council tax. Why do I have to fill in this form every year?
A. The register of electors is for voting purposes and includes names of every person in the household entitled to vote - the council tax register does not require all these details. The full register of electors is also used as an address check by credit reference agencies. Failure to respond to this form may affect any credit applications you may make.
Q.7 I expect to be moving in the next few weeks - what should I do?
A. Wait until you are sure where you will be on 15th October. If you will still be at this address, complete the form and return it or use the freephone/online service at that time. If you will have moved by 15th October then leave the form for the new occupants and remember to complete a form at your new address.
Q.8 I am not sure whether my nationality allows me to register. Which countries are part of the European Union?
A. Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, U.K.
Apart from citizens of the U.K. and Ireland (who have full voting rights) and of Cyprus and Malta (who have full voting rights by virtue of these countries being part of the Commonwealth), citizens of the above countries will be registered as local government electors only.
Q.9 What is meant by "qualifying" Commonwealth citizens?
A. This means a Commonwealth citizen who has leave to enter or remain in the U.K. or does not require such leave. You can find a full list of commonwealth countries at The Commonwealth Secretrait website. Zimbabwean nationals are still entitled to register to vote. (Special citizenship arrangements apply to Hong Kong citizens who have full voting rights).
Q.10 What are the rules for sitting on a jury?
A. People aged 70 and over cannot sit on a jury. Those who may not be able to sit on a jury for other reasons will be able to say so if they receive a jury summons.
Q.11 I have a postal vote but have recently changed my name. Do I need to re-apply?
A. Yes - Because signatures are part of the postal vote checking process at election times, you need to ensure that we have your up to date signature. Please contact us for a postal vote application form.
Don't forget - you can use the online service to register or if your details are unchanged you can use the freephone service.
