Registering to Vote
Register of Electors
The Electoral Register is a list of all the people living in
the Bedford Borough area who are eligible to vote in an
election. YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO VOTE IF YOU ARE NOT ON THIS
LIST. It is also used for security and credit checks, and you
may not be able to obtain credit cards, mortgages etc if you are
not on this list.
- How do I register to vote?
- Who is eligible to register?
- What is the Full and Edited Register?
- When will I appear on the Electoral
Register?
Please click
here to download the information leaflet 'Don't Lose Your Right to
Vote'
How do I register to vote?
Each year, the electoral register is updated
between August and November. Every household is sent a
Household Voter Registration Form listing all the people on the
electoral register as living at that address over the age
of`18. Households must check the form and update it if
necessary. You are legally required to sign this form and
send to the Electoral Registration Officer. You can be fined
up to £1000 if this form is not returned.
If you need to update the register at any other time during the
year (for example if you have moved house), then you can complete a
rolling registration form, which can be completed
online using the following link below, or obtained from
Borough Hall.
Online Voter Registration Form On completion of the
online form, you will be presented with a pdf of the form to print
off, sign and return to the address on the form (please note that
during the months of July to October we will be undertaking
the Annual Household Registration Canvass, therefore the individual
Voter Registration Forms will be unavailable and you will be
required to complete an online Household Registration Canvass
Form). If for any reason you feel that you
require an individual voter registration form to register
please contact the electoral services office on the numbers
provided.
Please note that we are able to process scanned signed forms
scanned sent electronically to electoralservices@bedford.gov.uk
(a signature is required for legal purposes). Please also
note that if you are on the council tax list this does not mean you
are included on the electoral register.
Who is eligible to vote?
- You must be 18 years of age or older to register
to vote. If you will be 18 at the time of the next election
you will need to add your date of birth to the Voter Registration
Form.
- You will be a British, Commonwealth, Irish or EU
citizen living in the Bedford Borough area.
Please click
here to download a list of nationalities eligible to register
to vote
- Anyone who normally lives in your home but is
temporarily away
- Anyone who is working away from home for less
than six months
If you have a second home you can
register at that address too, and if you are a student living
away from home in term time you can register at both
addresses. You will be able to vote in local elections for
both areas; however it is illegal to vote in an election more than
once.
What is the Full and Edited
Register?
Bedford Borough Council is required by law to keep two copies of
the electoral register. These are the Full Register and the
Edited Register.
This version of the register lists the name
and address of everyone registered to vote and is updated every
month. Anyone can view the full register, but copies can only
be supplied for certain purposes, such as credit checks and law
enforcement. You can view this register under supervision
at Borough Hall.
This version of the register is available to
purchase and can be used for any purpose. The edited version
includes only people who have consented to be listed in this
version. When filling out your registration form there is a
box you can tick to be excluded from this register. The
edited register can be bought by anyone and there are no
restrictions on its use. If you are interested in purchasing
the edited register, then please contact the Electoral Services
team.
When will I appear on the Electoral
Register?
We update the register according to
a statutory timetable. The dates for 2012 /
2013 are provided in the table below:
| Applications Received by: |
Date included on the Elecoral Register |
| Wednesday 31 October 2012 |
Thursday 8 November 2012 |
| Friday 9 November 2012 |
Monday 3 December 2012 |
| Tuesday 11 December 2013 |
Wednesday 2 January 2013 |
| Thursday 10 January 2013 |
Friday 1 February 2013 |
| Thursday 7 February 2013 |
Friday 1 March 2013 |
| Monday 11 March 2013 |
Tuesday 2 April 2013 |
| Tuesday 9 April 2013 |
Wednesday 1 May 2013 |
| Friday 10 May 2013 |
Monday 3 June 2013 |
| Friday 7 June 2013 |
Monday 1 July 2013 |
| Wednesday 10 July 2013 |
Thursday 1 August 2013 |
| Friday 9 August 2013 |
Monday 2 September 2013 |
Please note that due to the elections for Police and Crime
Commissioners on 15 November the registration timetable has
changed. Therefore no amendments will be made
between August and September during the Annual Canvass this
year. All updates to the register will take place on 16
October when the new Register of Electors is published.
Can I inspect or buy the Electoral
Register?
The full register is available for inspection under supervision at
Borough Hall. If you would like to view the full register
please call 01234 276916 or 276922 to make an
appointment.
You may make handwritten notes only. No computer equipment
may be used and no photocopies can be taken. For more
information on these provisions please refer to the Representation
of the People Regulations 2001.
If you would like to purchase part or all of
the edited register please contact the Electoral Services
Office. The costs are legislated for and can be found in the
Representation of the People (England and Wales) (Amendment)
Regulations 2002. The costs are outlined as follows
(regulation 111):
Paper copy: £10 plus £5 per 1000 names (or part of)
Data copy: £20 plus £1.50 per 1000 names (or part of)
Electoral Services Office
Registration & Records Unit
Bedford Borough Council
Borough Hall
Cauldwell Street
Bedford
MK42 9AP