Look out for your letter from the council about voter registration
Hounslow Council is writing to everyone in the borough from Monday 4 August, explaining the change to the electoral registration system; letting people know if they’ve been automatically transferred to the new register or if they need to take any action.
The English electoral registration system changed on 10 June 2014 to Individual Electoral Registration (IER); the biggest change to the voter registration system in 100 years.
Previously; voter registration was done by household. One person in a household filled in a form and entered the details of everyone who lives there. The people who were eligible were then registered to vote.
Now everyone needs to register themselves individually. To register to vote at your address in Hounslow for the first time, people should – in the first instance - go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Most people who are already registered to vote will be registered automatically under the new system. This will happen because local elections staff are comparing their electoral registers to existing records to confirm who people are, through a secure system that has been tested thoroughly.
For all sorts of reasons, some people will not match against these records and therefore cannot be transferred automatically to the new register. For example, they may have moved home since the record was last updated, or there may be a difference in the spelling of the two records.
From Monday 4 August 159,339 residents will receive a letter telling them they’ve been automatically transferred to the register and no action is required.
28,408 residents will receive a letter asking them to re-register individually. This can be done online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or by returning the ‘Individual Registration Form’ they have been sent.
2,053 ‘Household Enquiry Forms’ are being sent out to properties where electors live who did not respond to the last canvass. Residents need to return the Household Enquiry Form, telling us who lives at their address. Electoral Services will then get in touch to let the residents know if they have been automatically registered individually or whether they need to complete a new application to register.
A further 7,032 ‘Household Enquiry Forms’ will be sent to properties that are currently marked on our register as void – either because they are empty or we have previously been told that only non-eligible residents live there. Residents need to return the Household Enquiry Form, telling us who lives at their address (even if nobody is eligible to register to vote). An ‘Individual Registration Form’ form will then be sent to everyone in the household who is eligible to register.
Cllr Theo Dennison, Hounslow Council’s Cabinet Member for Finance and Citizen Engagement is urging residents to look out for the letter, he said: “It’s really important that everyone reads their letter. In most cases everyone who was registered to vote will still be registered to vote, but some people will need to get in in touch with us to re-register. The letters will make it clear exactly what you have to do and help is available from the council if you need it. Your vote matters, so make sure you don’t miss out.”
If you don’t know if you’re registered to vote or want help registering call Hounslow Council Electoral Services on 020 8583 2828 or email elections@hounslow.gov.uk
August 7, 2014