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Elections

Voter ID

From May 2023 voters in England will need to show photo ID to vote at polling stations in some elections. To find out more, visit the Voter ID page.

The registers

We keep two registers: the electoral register and the open register (previously known as the edited register).

Electoral register

The electoral register lists the names and addresses of everyone who is registered to vote in public elections. The register is used for electoral purposes, such as making sure only eligible people can vote. It is also used for other limited purposes specified in law, for example preventing and detecting crime (such as fraud), calling people for jury service and checking credit applications.

If your name is not on the electoral register you will not be able to vote at any election.

Open register

The open register is an extract of the electoral register, but is not used for elections. It can be bought by any person, company or organisation. For example, it is used by businesses and charities to confirm name and address details. Your name and address will be included in the open register unless you ask for them to be removed when you register to vote. You can also ask for your details to be removed at a later date. Removing your details from the open register does not affect your right to vote.

Opt out of the open register

You can contact us to opt-out of the open register at any time:

Opt Out of the Open Register

If you are not sure if you are on the register, please contact us using this form or call us on 01480 388017 to find out.

Viewing the register

By law, each local authority has to make the electoral register available for anyone to view. The electoral register is available for inspection at the Customer Service Centre, Pathfinder House, Huntingdon. Inspection will take place under supervision and there are restrictions on the use of the information obtained.

Verification Number

We are required to publish our verification number [PDF, 84Kb] annually.