Electoral register
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The Electoral Register (or Electoral Roll) is a listing of all those registered to vote in a particular area. The register facilitates the process of voting, helps to prevent fraud and is used to select people for jury duty. Electoral registers are used in many democracies including the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.
In the United Kingdom, the right to register for voting extends to all UK, Republic of Ireland, Commonwealth and European Union citizens. British citizens living overseas may register for up to 15 years after they were last registered at a UK address. It is possible for someone to register before their 18th birthday as long as they will reach that age before the next revision of the register.
At present, the register is compiled by sending an annual canvass form to every house (a process introduced by Representation of the People Act 1918). A fine of up to £1,000 can be imposed for failing to complete the form or giving false information. This process produces a 'revised' register on 1 December each year, however it is possible to update the register with new names each month between January and September.
The register has two formats. The "full" version of the register is available for supervised inspection and is held at the offices of the local electoral registration office. It is this register that is used for voting and its supply and use is limited by law. An "edited" version, which omits those people who have chosen to 'opt-out', can be purchased by anyone for any purpose.
Plans for a Coordinated Online Register of Electors (CORE) are underway; the intention being to standardise local registers and permit central data access.
It has been suggested that in the future the register may be taken from the data that is to be held on the proposed Citizen Information Project [link], or on the National Identity Register [link]. In January 2005 the Constitutional Affairs Committee and the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister began a joint inquiry into reforming the registration system.
Despite widespread calls for its introduction, the Electoral Administration Bill does not provide for individual voter registration on the grounds that registration levels would fall.
See also
External links
- [Parliamentary inquiry into voter registration, Jan 2005]
- [How to register to vote]
- [Bigger databases...could also mean more unwelcome intervention]
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