The Council have issued a reminder about the new electoral register.
You can only vote in elections if your name is on the register of electors. If you are on the electoral register you can also apply to vote by post. You can apply to be added to the register (or removed from it) at any time. However it takes around 4 weeks for the register to be updated.
Who can register
You can only apply to have your name added to the register if you are:
• 18 (or will become 18 during the life of the register)
• British, Irish, Commonwealth or European Union Member State citizen
• resident at a York address.
Annual Canvass for 2012
During the annual canvass, forms were delivered to every residential property within the City of York Council’s boundary. The first delivery took place from 2 July.
A second delivery of canvass forms to those non-responding properties where the first form has not been returned took place from 24 August. Residents will receive a personal visit from a canvasser to request that the form is completed at the doorstep.
The new register of electors will be published on 16 October 2012. This register will be used for the Police and Crime Commissioner elections taking place on Thursday 15 November 2012 and in any by election which may occur in the City during the next 12 months.
A copy of the form can be found here: http://www.york.gov.uk/content/council/elections/register/Annualcanvassform2012.pdf
Please ensure that you complete the address box (part A) and list all eligible electors (part B) of the form, including any 16 or 17 year olds.
Do not email the form, please print it off and return to: Electoral Services, Freepost YO182, York YO1 9ZF.
All amendments to the register will take effect from 16 October 2012, when the new register is published. Once published the new register will be available for public inspection at The Guildhall.
The Register of Electors – your choice
The council makes and keeps two versions of the register of electors – the full register and the edited register.
The edited register can be bought by anyone and they may use it for any purpose. However, electors can choose to have their name and address removed from the edited register.
Please put a tick on the form against anyone who wishes his or her name and address to be left off the edited register. You should, of course, check with each person what he or she would prefer.
The full register lists everyone who is entitled to vote in elections. It can only be viewed on request by appointment at the council offices
By law, the full register is only available to certain people and organisations and can only be used for specified purposes. These include electoral purposes, the prevention and detection of crime and checking identities for credit applications.
It is a criminal offence for it to be used for any other purpose.
Anyone inspecting the register may only make a hand written copy of the extract they are inspecting.
More information is available on the Electoral Commission website. The council is not responsible for the content or reliability of external websites.
The Electoral Register and Credit Reference Agencies
The register of electors is produced for the purpose of voting in elections and referendums. The law allows only legally registered credit reference agencies to purchase a copy of the register to help with their fraud checking.
These credit reference agencies cannot pass on details of those electors who have opted out of the edited register.
Electoral Services cannot assist with any errors credit reference agencies hold on their records, including incorrect address details and registration history.
Electoral Services can only assist in registering electors to allow them to vote.
Written or verbal confirmation cannot be provided to those organisations including credit reference agencies who are in receipt of a copy of the register, or to other organisations who are not permitted access to a copy of the register.
Contact
Electoral Services, City of York Council, The Guildhall, York YO1 9QN
Office hours – Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5.00pm
tel: (01904) 551007
fax: (01904) 551052
email: electoral.services@york.gov.uk
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