Frequently asked questions about elections

I've just moved house, how do I change my details on the Register of Electors?

You can apply to change your details by completing an application form.

If you would like to register, you can contact the Electoral Registration Office for an application form, alternatively the form is available to download at the bottom of this page.

A separate application is required for each person. Visit the Register of Electors page for more information on registering to vote.

Can anyone see my name on the Electoral Register?

New laws have been brought in to restrict the ways in which the electoral register can be used. Anyone can inspect a copy of the full register at Salford Civic Centre under supervision, but they would have to know your address to be able to find your name, because the register is compiled in address order.

It would be very difficult for anyone to find your address by just knowing your name.

Can I trace friends / relatives using the Electoral Register?

If you know where a friend / relative lives we can confirm whether they are registered there or not. If you only have a name and no address we cannot give out these details as regulations prevent electoral registration officers from making information available in this way. However, we can write to the person you want to contact, forwarding your name, address and telephone number

Am I automatically registered if I pay council tax?

No, the Council Tax Register and the Electoral Register are two separate registers and are completely different. The Council Tax Register may show the name of the owner of a property and not necessarily the residents of the property. For this and other legal reasons, the Electoral Registration Officer is not permitted to take names from the Council Tax Register and put them on the Electoral Register and vice versa. Additionally, electors are required to make a declaration for electoral purposes.

Why can’t I get credit?

There may be a number of reasons for this, some of which have nothing to do with the register of electors. However if you have been told by a bank or credit reference agency that you have been denied credit because your name does not appear on the register of electors, you will need to contact the electoral registration office direct, by telephoning 0161 793 3195. If your name appears on the register of electors we can supply you with a letter confirming your registration at a cost of £10.

Sometimes the records maintained by credit reference agencies are incorrect. If you have any further problems, these will need to be taken up with the bank or credit reference agency, and not with the electoral registration office.

Is my vote secret?

Yes, the ballot you have cast is secret. Secrecy of voting is fundamental to democracy and there are a number of legal safeguards in place designed to secure secrecy and prevent tampering with votes. The voting compartments at the polling station are designed to make sure that only you know which candidate you have voted for. Once you have marked your ballot paper you should it fold it so that nobody else can see how you have voted, and then put it into the ballot box. The ballot box is locked and sealed by the Presiding Officer at the start of polling day, and is further sealed at the end of polling, and will not be opened until the start of the count.

After the count, all votes, counterfoils and other paperwork are sealed again and they can only be opened by order of a court in the event of an election petition. They are held in secure storage for six months for local elections and 12 months for parliamentary elections and then destroyed.

The Electoral Commission has produced a fact sheet on ballot secrecy which is available to download.

Can foreign nationals vote?

Irish citizens resident here have the same voting rights as British citizens
European Union citizens resident here can vote at local government elections and European Parliamentary elections. They cannot vote in UK Parliamentary elections
Citizens of Commonwealth countries and British Dependent Territories resident here have the same voting rights as British citizens
People who are not British, Irish, European Union, Commonwealth or British Dependent Territory citizens cannot vote in the UK

I am a student – where should I register to vote?

As a student you can register for more than one address if you are studying away from home, at college or university. You can register to vote at both your home and term-time address. You have a right to vote in respect of both addresses in a local government election but you must choose which address you wish to vote from in respect of Parliamentary and European Parliamentary elections.

Downloadable documents

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This page was last updated on 24 April 2008

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